Twenty-five

Before creation, a presence existed,
Self-contained, complete, formless, voiceless,
Mateless, changeless, which yet pervaded itself
With unending motherhood.

Though there can be no name for it,
I have called it 'the way of life,' the tao.
Perhaps I should have called it 'the fullness of life,'
Since fullness implies widening into space,
Implies further widening into space
Implies widening until the circle is whole.

In this sense the way of life is fulfilled,
Heaven is fulfilled, earth is fulfilled
And a fit person also is fulfilled.
These are the four amplitudes of the universe
And a fit person is one of them
A person rounding the way of earth
Earth rounding the way of heaven
Heaven rounding the way of life
Until the circle is full.