What I Know and Don't Know (poem) by John Herlihy on AuthorsDen

What I Know and Don't Know
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Saturday, January 1, 2022 Rated "G" by the Author.

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-- What I Know and Don’t Know -- John Herlihy I know that what I don’t know Is really the only thing that I know I feel that what I don’t feel Is really the only thing that I feel What I know helps me explore the surface What I don’t know takes me below the surface What I know may offer me a fleeting solace What I don’t know offers me endless promise What I know lies outside, making less of me What I don’t know lies inside as the mystery of me What I know doesn’t give away any answers What I don’t know seems to reveal all the answers What we know inspires the fool into thinking he knows What we don’t know inspires the wisdom of not knowing I know what I have come to know from the unknown I know what others are unwilling or cannot bear to know - - - - - Copyright © John Herlihy Sunday 26 December 2021

Reviewed by Jms Bell

Reviewed on January 15, 2022

WELL SAID, JOHN. IT IS THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE THAT CAJOLES US...TEMPTING US TO WANT TO KNOW. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY UNKNOWN THINGS THAT ARE SO MUCH MORE...THAN WE WILL EVER KNOW. ENJOYED, THANK YOU. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Odin odin@aflx.com

Reviewed on January 3, 2022

The world of denial infiltrates both democratic and authoritative clusters of people that act as if they know all there is necessary to know, forgetting, as your poem points out, what we don't know (and admit to) is where the spark of life exists. So sad that so many "cannot bear to know."

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on January 1, 2022

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Every time I learn something new, I find there is much more to learn. Absolutes, so easily toted by those who claim to know, shrivel when science finds out that those absolutes really don't exist. And you are also right about learning some of these turns out to be knowledge that so many can't "bear to know."

Ron