finding yourself vs. founding yourself

[joel]

Seek not to find yourself by thinking you’ll be found
Tomorrow – in a future – somewhere else than now,
But found your soul today with what you find is sound.

Itinerantly preaching, teaching, Jesus crowned
His own identity upon a holy vow:
Seek not to find yourself by thinking you’ll be found.

His doggèd “seek and ye shall find” is not your hound
Intent on taking treasure like a truffled sow—
But found your soul today with what you find is sound.

I loved a watch whose time was kept, though never wound
And never keyed: those skies I watched when time’d allow.
Seek not to find yourself by thinking you’ll be found

As if your cyclic walk would make your circle round,
Or produce more define your earth than does its plough,
But found your soul today with what you find is sound

And don’t betray what is for what might be profound;
Our best of acts are played and then we actors bow.
Seek not to find yourself by thinking you’ll be found,
But found your soul today with what you find is sound.

[Perdida]

Beautiful writing Joel, just what i needed to hear today. Thank you.

m

[saw]

the wordplay and rhymes in the last stanza should be a poem unto itself

and don't betray what is for what might be profound
our best of acts are played and then we actors bow
seek not to find yourself by thinking you'll be found,
but found your soul today with what you find is sound

whimsical in sound, but solid in advice

[Hollweg]

Good villanelle, Joel. "Doggèd" and "hound" in the same line is a nice touch.

[justwalt]

I found a message, yesterday
that fit my position... which is
what you say here. Had to
read this again to be sure.

very nice


bingo
____________
many is a word

[joel]

bingo

...was his name-o.

Thanks, all.