This morning while watching this video on poet4justice, I was reminded of a poem I
wrote back in 2008:
cogito ergo sum
i think
therefore i am
am i
if i am perceived by myself
i must exist
if i do not perceive myself
do i exist
if another acknowledges me
i must exist
if no one gives me a thought
do i exist at all
this ego
this i
this me
this myself
who are they
it is the mind
the ego
that thinks
if there are no thoughts of this ego
then does this ego exist
once the mind engages
the ego exists
when the ego is not
what is
soul is
spirit is
consciousness is
sum ergo sum
Through the Peacock's Eyes 
I think Popeye (Bud Saggendorf) was paraphrasing the King James translation of Yahweh’s frequent assertion in the Old Testament: “I AM THAT I AM”. This could also be an alt translation of “sum ergo sum” ~ with the added valence of “Thou Art THAT”.
I feel that the original version, “cogito ergo sum”, put Descartes before Des horse.
Hello! I have nominated you for a Best Moment Award. Follow the link at http://soulmagnitude.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/by-the-campfire-best-moment-award/
With appreciation,
Deelia
Thank you! I will put together another awards post soon. Namaste!
So was it your ego that created the universe as you knew it? and when it dissappeared so did the universe as you knew it? and what was left was the eternal silence – quantum theory seems to say something similar too though i dont profess to understand it.
Was this your first comment? I just got it after responding to the other one. The poem started as an exploration into Descartes “(Ego) cogito ergo (ego) sum.” When we do not think about ourselves or anything else, as in meditation or even deep sleep, what exists? I was taking the mind/ego/brain out of the picture to see what was left.
i osted a comment but it disappeared so let me try again – wonderful poem Julainneji reminds me of a upanishidic aphorism which is a bit scary – ‘when you looked away the universe ceased to exist, but when you looked back there it was’
Thank you! I just read that WordPress was hacked this weekend, so maybe there will be some issues for a bit.
whatever for?
The hacking? I don’t know.
Wonderful exploration of self, or not!
Thank you!
the last stanza is what I want to be. And this reminded me of Popeye’s, the cartoon, common phrase, I am what I am. Love that line since I was a kid.
Ah Popeye, such a self-aware fellow! 🙂
Isn’t he, eh. That’s way before this become fashionable “statement”.
I at times tell the ego to take the back seat. Guess becomes a back seat passenger? ^&*(&% * ^^% EGO!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
The ego stops the me from recognizing the “I AM that “I AM”..Thank you Julianne.
Silly ego likes to cause trouble! It’s always good to sit down and have a good conversation with him/her! 😉
Deeply moving poem.. Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you Joe!
You write the dialogue of my mind until I leave it where it is. Thank you for such a striking poem.
Karen
Wow, thanks!