Only the Knower Knows
The Mirror... the Mask
The mirror, the mask, could not be any clearer: it takes us to task.
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It reflects self back to self but neglects to reveal its own lack of the real.
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What lies beneath the surface?
What lies! Beneath the surface a perception grows.
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What lies beyond the image?
What lies! Beyond the image a projection shows.
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What lies inside the mind?
What lies! Inside the mind only the knower knows.
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What lies we tell about the passage of time!
(when self reflects self)
A rock planted firmly in a river that flows…
(beneath the surface)
Thought, inexpressible, trapped in rhyme!
(beyond the image)
Structure, destroyed, where the raging wind blows…
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That which remains—only the knower knows.
About the Creator
C. Rommial Butler
C. Rommial Butler is a writer, musician and philosopher from Indianapolis, IN. His works can be found online through multiple streaming services and booksellers.
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Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl2 days ago in Fiction
Comments (19)
This is beyond! Wow! It felt like a meditation…and an undoing. Peeling away the illusion/being—and an awakening that slowly funnels down to what remains—consciousness/awareness. This is a first place piece, C.Rommial! Blew me away! 🤯👏🏽✨🩷
Well deserved place 👏
Congrats on your win, dear friend!!! Well deserved!
I love how ‘what lies’ truly means who lies? Brilliant use of double meaning and irony, Rommi. I loved your poem! Congrats!
Congratulations on your runner-up win!
Your words leave indelible imprints on my mind. Truly you have the mind of the knower, the seeker, the dreamer
Incredible poem. Congrats!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congrats on your runner up placement🎉🎉
So profound! Congratulations on your win
Excellent!!
Oooo, this was so profound. Loved your poem!
Love the wordplay with "what lies" working double duty here! The way you build through those repetitions and then bring it all together at the end is really clever.
Your poetry always causes one to think good and hard, Charles. Well written <3 Love this <3
Beautiful, dear friend! I will sit and ponder this for a while. I love how your work always makes me think a little deeper. It's like going to an art gallery and sitting with a single painting for an hour.
What a poem that let us really think what is important. Good job.
What a wonderful play with such truthful words
I love how you play with repetition and double meanings around “what lies.” It feels philosophical and rhythmic at the same time.
Existentialism seems to be a familiar theme for me and you right now. I read your substack post also. Last night I had a dream that I was told the world was ending and I hid the head of fear into my chest and watched a giant orange sphere whirl toward the 🌍. It was gorgeous and we were missed thankfully, albeit shook up. In dreams and mirrors we can escape, but unlike the rock, we will be gone long before we are ready to leave. 🕊️