The Hungry Ghost

The Hungry Ghost explores the relentless thirst for knowledge, the paradox of curiosity, and the limits of human understanding.

A soul that yearns, a boundless space,

To gather knowledge, to embrace

All that the world, has to impart,

A burning hunger, in the heart.

To know the stars, the depths of sea,

The secrets whispered, by the tree.

To understand, the human mind,

The answers sought, but hard to find.

But oh, the mind, a fickle thing,

It grasps and strains, yet cannot cling

To all the wisdom, it desires,

A flickering flame, that quickly tires.

Mediocrity, a heavy cloak,

That smothers dreams, with every stroke.

The soul cries out, "I want to know!"

The mind replies, "But I'm too slow."

Is this the mind's, inherent flaw?

A limited reach, a broken law?

Or is it the soul, that asks too much,

A boundless craving, out of touch?

A paradox, it seems to be,

This hungry ghost, inside of me.

A soul that soars, on wings so wide,

A mind that stumbles, cannot glide.

I yearn to learn, to understand,

To hold the cosmos, in my hand.

But find myself, with empty grasp,

A fleeting glimpse, a fading gasp.

Is this the curse, of being human?

This constant striving, ever bloomin'?

To reach for heights, beyond our ken,

And fall back down, again, again?

Or is there beauty, in the try,

Though perfect knowledge, we're denied?

To taste the fragments, we can find,

And feed the hunger, of the mind,

And of the soul?

Perhaps the journey, is the key,

Not perfect grasp, but constantly

To seek, to learn, to question why,

This hungry ghost, will never die.

It is my essence. My endless, seeking why.

And, maybe... that's enough, for I.

Maybe.

Author's Note

This poem delves into the tension between boundless curiosity and the mind’s limitations. Does the hunger for knowledge enrich or torment?