I am the sky the sea the sun and the surf
I am the weeds the seeds the trees and the turf
I am everywhere yet nowhere
I am oblivious but I do care
I am your thoughts and my consciousness
I am the green fields and the sprawling metropolis
I am all you can see yet cannot be seen
I am an elderly gent and the gangly teen
I permeate all but am never sedate
know me before it’s too late …
inspired by Paul Dunbar’s The Paradox, “I am the bud and the blossom, I am the late-falling leaf”
aroused 
The great oneness that we all share. Beautiful. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this take on the prompt. It shows me, every person is a paradox in and unto her/himself!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know I can’t be everything
But what I can be is known to me
So, I’m sticking to that
Have a nice day 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
To me this is the paradox of life itself, “know me before it’s too late.” How many, after all, let “life” pass them by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Superbly described Kate… there is paradox in all of us… of who we are, and of who we are not … of who we could be, and of who we are not…
LikeLike
Excellent! Slam dunk on that prompt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woah, sounds like a riddle to me. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes most philosophy is like a riddle, dualistic yet flows … wise comment Angela 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, that only means job well done to you. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Superb and excellent poem, Kate. I AM THAT I AM.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful poem very significant, Kate . Are not we all of us paradoxs? 🙂
Love ❤
Michel
LikeLike
Kate, this poem could have been written by Dunbar himself. Wow.
Just wow.
-David
LikeLiked by 1 person
More need to stop, look and listen to themselves so they can more clearly move forward, see and make music 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the depth of thought and wonder in this one, Kate. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kate, this so resonated. The surface lightness of rhymes and the underlying depth so beautifully highlighted the paradoxes. Bravo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the way you took the Dunbar quote and ran with it, Kate! A superbly paradoxical list poem with lilting rhymes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The back and forgh is compelling Kate — and the urgency of the ending is captivating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the underlying message the comes through so well at the end. Learn to know me before it is too late!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good one! I’m still looking at it and trying to shoehorn my ideas into the poem… very thought provoking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow, Kate this is an amazing poem. Love it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This wonderful, SweetKate…the rhyme, the wisdom, the messages, the relatability! 🙂
Paul Dunbar wrote some amazing poems. He certainly had paradoxes in his life/personality…good and bad, happy and sad. But then, don’t we all.
(((HUGS))) 🙂
PS… “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change.” – Carl Rogers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the rhythm of these rhymes! My favorite line: I am oblivious but I do care. This describes some people I know! 😂 Hope you are doing well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello! I’ve been MIA with business issues. I’m so glad to hear life is back to normal – the USA is taking some first steps but it’s slow going. Hoping to catch up on your posts! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
no panic, take your time! We’ve had nominal infections and deaths here compared to the rest of the world … we are so blessed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
love this one Kate………the flow, the meaning……….beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is incredibly deep and profound! I resonate with; “I am all you can see yet cannot be seen.”💝💝
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful, Kate. We are all made of paradoxes and that is what makes us human. ❤ You said it very well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the rhyming of this poem, gives a very expansive feeling yet that of stillness and oneness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning. Well written and profound. Really sung to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bravo! the feeling of this poem is liberty – a person beyond defining and one who fully understands the paradoxical nature of that:
“I am all you can see yet cannot be seen”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done. I can see it as nature but I can also see it as a person.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is great – this character sounds like a person worth knowing, full of paradoxes as are we all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
and we all all worth knowing Ingrid, we each have so much to give!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a very good point!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we can find it all in just those opposites…
LikeLiked by 1 person