I Am

Before the body, before the story, Before the name Beyond the mind's attempt to find Or explain Before the breath, beyond the sense Of pleasure or of pain And after death, and after death, I am Within the heart, the whole and part Of everything I see Behind the eyes, beyond disguise, reflecting me At the silent core, and yet before phenomena began And after it, and after it, I am Many differences separate us On the surface, yes. But I cannot find a boundary in consciousness And when you ask me, Where does awareness begin And does it end I have to say, I have to say I've always been Within the body, without the body, Not subject to Changing moods or states of health Or points of view Without needs before the deeds And the monuments of man And after them, and after them, I am Many differences separate us On the surface, yes. But I cannot find a boundary In consciousness And when you ask me, Where does awareness begin And does it end I have to say, I have to say I've always been At the silent core, And yet before phenomena began And after it, and after it, I am