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“But Fruits Are Not Concealed in Them”

—Friedrich Schiller, “Breath and Depth”

We hear the ancient rule:
The fools think they are wise;
The wise know they are fools…
But who knows their own lies?

The lights or shades inside
Will clear or smudge the lens.
However much we hide
Is how much we must cleanse.

No matter what we read,
What knowledge can we voice?
Sown seeds follow our deeds,
Our fruits our every choice.

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Peter Venable has been writing poetry for 50 years. He has been published in Windhover, Third Wednesday, Time of Singing, The Merton Seasonal, American Vendantist, The Anglican Theological Review, and others. He is a member of the Winston Salem Writers. On the whimsical side, he has been published in Bluepepper, Parody, Laughing Dog, The Asses of Parnassus, and Lighten Up Online (e. g. # 48).

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5 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    The aphorism, “actions speak louder than words,” clearly fits this poem along with your perceptively wise incisive proverb, “Sown seeds follow our deeds, Our fruits our every choice.”

    Reply
  2. Paul A. Freeman

    As with Roy, ‘Sown seeds follow our deeds’ resonated.

    So much said in so few words.

    Thanks for the read, Peter.

    Reply
  4. Mary Jane Myers

    Peter

    Your poem is an artful “re-write” of Schiller in three stanzas of rhymed iambic trimeter. The short statements are mantra-like: easy to memorize and internalize, and the “lesson” is profound. Your word and rhyme choices are excellent. Perhaps I will fasten this poem to my workspace board, to remind me every morning “Who knows their own lies?” and “Our fruits our every choice.”

    Sincerely,
    Mary Jane

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    Reply
  5. Margaret Coats

    Well done, Peter. You break beyond two sides on any question, and even go past that commonplace moral of “I look at deeds, not words.” With poets, that’s especially important, since much of what we do is words. That’s why I appreciate your analogy of deeds as seeds, while EVERY choice bears fruits.

    Reply

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