Nosce te Ipsum
With the eye of a seeker
I peer through the hole,
lift the tube to the light,
see the pieces fall in place.
With serious intensity
I study the kaleidoscope of self
The mirrored geometry
Of nature and nurture
persuades me
of my own complexity.
There is my temperament
in small glass disks
of moody blue opacity,
my training severe
in bright red solid shapes.
Floating in transparent gel
the shiny stars
of gentle spirit
while the elusive soul
slithers on the edge
a tiny drop of quicksilver
But never be complacent;
self-knowledge is ever incomplete.
With every twist and turn
of fickle fate
the pattern changes
and I am obliged
to know myself anew.
Islamabad, April 2001
See Context
