In vanity, we inquire into the empty heavens
And witness only birds hunting
In vanity, we dive into the sea and the earth
And discover just bones rotting
In vanity, we read the writings of the learned
And find their footsteps decaying
Within you, behind all the clothing of words
Look, and behold the eternal tree of knowledge
Whose fruits are mankind's untainted ideas
And rests within our hand's reach, beyond the world's edge
Inspired by a passage from "The Principles of Human Knowledge" by the Irish philosopher George Berkeley, near the end of the work's introduction.
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” ~George Berkeley
I wasn't there to hear
the sound of trees falling
in the forest ~
Schrödinger's cat may
or may not have been.
“Esse est percipi," said the man—
"To be is to be perceived." You see,
Existence is a product of the mind
Where only senses cause reality.
So what's behind all fastened closet doors?
And what becomes of things in dark of night?
How much is really there, or just a dream,
Conjured by smell or taste, touch, sound or sight?
"Esse est percipi," said the man—
"To be is to be perceived." I fear
That when I am alone and no one sees,
How can I know if I am really here?
Sandra M. Haight
~1st Place~
Contest: Reality
Sponsor: Nayda Ivette Negron
Judged: 05/20/2016
~1st Place~
Contest: Humor
Sponsor: Carol Eastman
Judged: 01/28/2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Esse est percipi" means "To be is to be perceived."
Philosopher, George Berkeley, 1710
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.