NEW QUADRIVIUM*

                     By Allan Roy Andrews
 
 

Science begins in brain;
Philosophy begins in mind;
Poetry begins in ear and mouth;
Religion begins in breath.

For science to say anything about life,
it must experiment;
for philosophy to say anything about life,
it must exhaust words;
for poetry to say anything about life,
it must listen;
for religion to say anything about life,
it must fall on its face.

Where science ends, philosophy begins;
where philosophy ends, poetry begins;
where poetry ends, death begins;
where death ends, religion begins.

 

 

*Originally appeared in Voice, the  newsletter of St. Martin's-in-the-Field Episcopal Church, Severna Park, Md., February 2002.