Know Thyself

Know Thyself (one of the two Delphic commands of Apollo) For years before the narrow windows of my senses I stood, Trying to pierce the nebulous world of outer reality, Hoping to find GOD, One year was following the other but I was: Still wondering, Still inquiring, Still demanding. I was lost in the tenebrous world of materiality’s Phenomena, While the true essence of things, evasive As ever, Persistently escaped the grasp of my confused Perception, Unable to see behind the impenetrable veil Of Isis, And disappointed with reason’s constant Failure, My impatient voice towards the starry heavens I lifted, Asking aloud: Where are Thee, oh LORD? For I have been seeking for Thee so many years now, But I have found Thee not! I have kept my eyes wide-open in order to see, As many colors of Thy creation as possible, And not even for a moment have I shut them, For fear I missed Thy resplendent light, But I saw Thee not! I have kept my ears wide-open in order to hear As many sounds of Thy creation as possible, And not even for a second have I covered them up For fear I missed Thy sacred voice, But I heard Thee not! I have kept my hands extended in order to touch As many things of Thy creation as possible And not even for a minute have I held them back, For fear I missed Thy spiritual touch But I touched Thee not! I have kept my nostrils wide-open in order to scent As many perfumes of Thy creation as possible And not even for an instant have I held my breath For fear I missed Thy holy aroma But I scent Thee not! I have become a famed gourmet in order to taste As many delicacies of Thy creation as possible And not even for an hour have I withheld my appetite For fear I missed Thy heavenly feast But I tasted Thee not! WHY? Then, the thunderous voice of the Lord, Coming deep down from the twilight of time, Tearing the eternal heavens apart Answered me and said: Dear innocent child of Mine; hasn’t time taught you, That I am neither to be seen by eyes Nor to be heard by ears? That I am not to be touched by hands Nor to be scent by nostrils? That I am not to be tasted by palates But I am only to be felt by enraptured hearts? Trembling and puzzled, in a shaky timid voice, I dared ask: How could this be done, oh Lord? For I am so weak and ignorant, I do not know The way And the compassionate voice of the Lord answered me And said: Don’t call yourself weak and ignorant for I have endowed you with power and knowledge So great, You have only to unearth this incalculable treasure Hidden deep down in your soul and you will be In touch with Me, with eternity, with the universal law, With the light, with the truth and every single existence, But first you have to listen carefully to what I command: Close your eyes for they cannot see Me And cover your ears for they cannot hear Me Pull back your hands for they cannot touch Me And hold your breath for it cannot scent Me Shut your mouth for it cannot taste me And stand completely still in order for you To sense Me At once I rushed to Obey His divine command, so: I closed my eyes and saw no more And covered my ears and heard no more I pull back my hands and touched no more And held my breath and scent no more I shut my mouth and tasted no more And stood dead still for a moment, Just for a moment alone! And BEHOLD: I felt His ethereal presence enveloping my heart And I saw His celestial light caressing my mind And I heard His heavenly voice calling to my spirit And I touched His angelic essence with my elated thought And I scent His seraphic aroma with my sacred, now, breath And I tasted His rapturous divinity with my blissful soul. Then, immendiatly, the gates of revelation opened their Passages wide And in a magnificent lofty parade, in front of my soul’s Dazzled eyes The mysteries of life, one by one, were unveiled to the last Thus making everything known. And now my enraptured self, jubilant before the eternal truth, In ecstasy exclaims: Thank you, oh Lord for showing me Thy blessed Essence, Thank Thee, for I know Thee now! And the Lord enigmatically smiled at me and with His Divine thought tenderly declared: No my loving child, you only know YOURSELF! © Demetrios Trifiatis