The Eye: A Poem by Kahlil Gibran

 The Eye

Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys a mountain veiled with blue mist.
Is it not beautiful?”

The Ear listened, and after listening intently awhile, said, “But where is any mountain?
I do not hear it.”

Then the Hand spoke and said, “I am trying in vain to feel it or touch it, and I can find no mountain.”

And the Nose said, “There is no mountain, I cannot smell it.”

Then the Eye turned the other way, and they all began to talk together about the Eye’s strange delusion. And they said, “Something must be the matter with the Eye.”

~ by Kahlil Gibran
Excerpted from The Madman: His Parables and Poems
(This work is in the Public Domain)

 

Kahlil Gibran

Primarily known for his work, The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran is one of my favourite philosophers and poets. While The Prophet, a treasure trove filled with much wisdom and enlightened thought, is cherished by many, fewer know of Gibran’s wonderful book of poetry and prose, The Madman: His Parables and Poems. The Eye is one of my favourite poems from that collection.

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Image Credit:

The Eye, photograph by madlyinlovewithlife; ©2011 madlyinlovewithlife