Lam Yalid Wa Lam Yulad

Essence refers to —
Can only refer to —
Must refer to —
An object of perception

What is not-an-object —
Perceivable or conceivable —
Defies possessing
Having or containing
Essence

Scent of a rose
Is its essence
What a rose is
Is not its essence

Existence itself
Is what a rose is

Yet rose is
Perceivable and
Conceivable

But existence
Being not-an-object
Is neither

Its only essence being
That-it-is

And even that
Misses the mark
For essence refers to —
Can only refer to —
Must refer to —
An object of perception

And existence is precisely
That-which-is-not-an-object

The question of whether
Things have an essence
Is moot —

For their essence is
That-which-is —

And they are
That-which-is-not

All ideas
Of one preceding the other
Are traps

For that-which-is
Is neither born
Nor births

And that-which-is-not
Equally —
Are neither born
Nor birth

Precisely because
That-which-is-not
Is
That-which-is-not