I was,
And I am.
So shall I be to the end of time,
For I am without end.
I have cleft the vast spaces of the infinite,
Taken flight in the world of fantasy, and drawn
To the circle of light on high.
Yet behold me a captive of matter.
I have hearkened to the teachings of Confucius,
And listened to the wisdom of Brahma, and sat Beside the Buddha beneath the tree of knowledge.
Behold me now contending with ignorance
Unbelieving.
I was upon Sinai when the Lord showed
To Moses.
By the Jordan I beheld the
Miracles.
In Medina I heard the words of the Apostle of Arabia.
Behold me now a prisoner of doubt.
I have seen Babylon's strength and Egypt's
And the greatness of Greece.
My eyes cease
Upon the smallness and poverty of their works.
I have sat with the witch of Endor and the
Of Assyria and the prophets of Palestine, and I
Not to chant the truth.
I have learned the wisdom that descended on India, and gained mastery over poetry that
From the Arabian's heart, and hearkened to the Music of people from the West.
Yet am I blind and see not; my ears are
And I do not hear.
I have borne the harshness of insatiable Conquerors, and felt the oppression of tyrants and thebondage of the powerful.
Yet am I strong to do battle with the days.
All this have I heard and seen, and I am yet
Child.
In truth shall I hear and see the deeds
Youth, and grow old and attain perfection and Return to God.
I was,
And I am.
So shall I be to the end of time,
For I am without end.
This poem is spiritual and philosophical in its content.
