I used to see the world as separate things
And tried to understand how they relate,
One to the other, how their acts create
The waves that flow forth in concentric rings.
More recently I'm inclined to suspect
The nodes at which relationships congeal
May constitute the objects we call "real",
In truth it's the connections they reflect.
The clarity that this perspective brings
Has demonstrated power to abate
This constant, primal loneliness I feel,
Erode the barriers that I erect,
Diffuse my pride and salve whatever stings,
So free the heart to swell and spread its wings.
-- #45 in the I Ching Sonnet Project -- JJM
