If innocence and wonder together
Are the true foundation of wisdom
(And they are, you know they are)
Then innocence has not been lost
But is something we must achieve;
And wonder does not come naturally,
But only arrives after fretful years
Of not knowing.
it's short, but for me, needed to be read aloud, and for me a few times, to even siNk iN, as it SEtTLeD iN, mOsT ComFoRtaBLy, Mr WiTT
I like this one a lot. It's longer than an epigram, but it has the same feel. I like the reversal of having to 'learn' wonder, which we too often associate exclusively with childhood. The title reminds of me of the James Wright poem in which he's lying in a hammock at a friend's farm; the poem ends, 'I have wasted my life.'. . Well done.
Very deep thoughts. No one is perfect but we can work on to become a better person. The wonder arrives when we allow ourselves to embrace the beauty of enlightenment. When you can graciously display your wisdom, then your life is not at all worthless. Brilliant piece! :)
If you manage to learn innocence and wonder too boot, you are already wise and your foundation, unidentified, has long since been laid. From what I gather in this line up, most see this as about an unsowing, or turning about in the wrong path.
i think i might be beginning to regret already my last comment...
gary, if innocence is something we must achieve, are we until then guilty of something?
Love the way you turn things on their head and force the reader to reevaluate received wisdom. The poem is a tool to extract thought and reflection: like a Zen koan, or a distorting mirror at a fun fair in which perchance you catch your own reflection and for a split second are forced to reassess your own reality
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
That is one of the most thought-provoking pieces I have read this week. Shame on you for making me think unpaid. Stunning. t x