Profane Vs Sacred Poem by Phan Thanh gian

The mind and the body
The sacred and the profane
One is without limit
The other confined

Endless is the imagination
Life faces inevitable demise
The mind endeavors higher aspiration
Simple needs nuture the flesh

Headstrong we're undaunted
Weak-kneed we falter
The spirit thinks it's everlasting
Perishable lives often shortlived

Attempting to unravel the mystery
Of the object versus the subject,
Practical against ideal
We're often entwined, confounded

Matter and energy
Latter is unseen yet all powerful
Former is seen yet inert
The two inseparable, universal

A mindless body is lifeless
Bodiless mind is nothingness
Nothing is subtance without form
Nor shall we be slaves to materialism

Wrestling in an eternal struggle
The mind pushes the outer limit
Constantly grounded by the physique.
Idealism and realism in a cosmic swirl.