HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

The highest consciousness that I’ve achieved
I happened on when I was just eighteen,
A kind of visitation I received
One night alone that left me keen, serene.

I felt aglow with panoramic love
And thought I saw the heart of everything
Throughout the universe—the worlds above
And all below—in one remembering.

This sense of unity and knowing all
In some essential way receded soon,
And in days following I could recall
None of that symphony, but just a tune,

The merest melody of that great choir,
Which left me ever longing for what’s higher.

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