How different gifts of Sight can shed Light

One is always wrong;
but with two, truth begins. -
One cannot prove his case,
but two are already irrefutable.~Nietzsche

Tonight I wrote the following poem in response to a thoughtful conversation a dear friend and I shared late Monday night before I returned home. This friend by nature is a very contemplative, careful person, and his different gift of Sight often sheds Light on dark, shadowy places where my own unique gift of Sight has not yet ventured. I count him an irreplaceable blessing and thank Whoever directs the Hand of Fate for directing our steps along nearby paths, if only for a short time.

But, as usual, I digress. :-) This conversation disturbed many shadows, and one of those was the significance of humankind - in this case, individually rather than collectively. So then, just how important is a Man? Does He even matter? If so, then how so and how much? We never truly reached a conclusion, but I feel we seldom do. Instead, we simply let thoughts flow and see where they go. Or we just "vibe" and enjoy the ride, as my friend says. In this case, our gifts of Sight enabled us to each see this question from two very different perspectives. I could (and even started to) explain our conversation and perspective locations further, but I want to literarily practice the "less is more" attitude at least once in a while. So I'll just leave you with this and trust that you'll do your best to discern the rest:


Humility and Dignity:

Can they ever
Be found together,
Or must they always
Be found apart?

I understand
Both the scientific
And philosophic
Meanings behind
The fact that
You and I both
Began as an
Insignificant sperm
Amidst a stream of
Nondescript semen.

And I realize
You and I both
Entered this world
Amidst a flood
Of disgusting, unholy
Urine and blood.

I understand:
We are Nothing.

Yet in the depths
Of my Being,

I believe:
We are Something.

Why else would
You and I both
Wake up every morning
With a strange sense
Of purpose
Deep in our gut?

Do you ever feel
That what happens
Is more than mere
Science, logic, or luck?

Do you ever wonder
What it is that
Fuels the drive
That not only
Keeps you alive
But that also
Demands you strive
For Something better?

Even if we ignore
The sense of purpose
Deep in our gut,
And with each day
Work to discover
Everything but -
Our forced "ignorance"
Will not annihilate
Our innate knowledge
That we are
Something more
Than an ordinary
Prude, pimp, or slut.

Yes, we
May be
Only one speck
Amidst six billion
Present particles of dust
(not to mention the many
who passed before
and the many more
who will likely enter
through another door),
And our entire existence
May be
Just
The result of
One chemical reaction
Made possible through
The crude, ancient, and animalistic
Act of Lust
(or more rarely
through
the more selfless
expression of Love).

But despite -
Or perhaps because of -
This cold, scientific fact,
We also must
Acknowledge the logic
Of Herman Hesse*,
Who declares,
"Every man is more than
Just himself;
He also represents
The unique,
The very special
And always significant
And remarkable point
At which the world's
Phenomena intersect,
Only once in this way,
And never again."

So then,
We are naturally
And scientifically
Evidence of a sperm
Meeting an egg,
But logically,
And philosophically,
None of the
Other six billion
Present pieces of evidence
Have ever quite been expressed
In our unique, specific way.
And when
Speaking mathematically,
We are each
A tiny, yet distinct point
On a very large plane.

And this, I believe,
Is what prompts
Brahmans in India
To say,
"Namaste."
As they greet each other
Each day,
They acknowledge
The particles of
Divinity
Present
Amidst their
Humanity.

And this, I believe -
This simple greeting -
Is one place
Amidst our vast and fast
Human race
Where
Humility
Can be found together
With
Dignity.

So then,
When the
Dignity of Divinity
Meets the
Humility of Humanity,
An immortal soul
(which is certainly Something)
Enters a mortal body
(which is certainly Nothing).

So then,
When considering the purpose
You and I both
Sometimes feel
Deep in our gut,
We might join C. G. Jung*
And say,
"As far as we can discern,
The sole purpose
Of human existence
Is to kindle
A light of meaning
In the darkness
Of mere being”
(and I venture to guess
that part of the Meaning
lies in the Process
Of “mere Being”).

So then,
This explains how -
When you look at
The humanity of your body
And say,
"I see Nothing
Here right now,"
And when I look at
The divinity of your Soul
And say,
"I see Something,
Maybe even Everything" -
This
Namaste philosophy
Amidst
Scientific reality
Explains how
You and I both
May be
Right.

Because we speak
And we write
According to the
Types of Light
Which enable
Each of our
Very different
Gifts of Sight.


*To give credit where credit is due: I lifted these two quotes from my friend's (the one who originally shared this conversation) facebook profile. :-)