coming face to face

Seeking love, I see it winding in your curls.

Seeking life, I see it walking down your street.

Driven by deep thirst, I drink, only to see

A dream upon the water: you face to face with me.

#1283: From Rumi's Kolliyaat-e Shams-e Tabrizi

Search word: seek

Since I'm stuck inside a seeking rut, I've sought another verse on seeking. Yes, that which we seek is always the self but not as a relationship of I to me but of you to me or, as Rumi so nicely puts it, of "you face to face with me". The I-self sees and the you-self is seen but it also looks back intently enough for the I-self to realise it is being seen as well. Yes, they are indeed face to face.

Waterhouse: Echo and Narcissus @ Timeless Myths

In the classic myth, the nymph Echo fades away from longing for the beautiful youth Narcissus who, in turn, perishes through pining after his own reflection. In this moment captured by the artist J.W. Waterhouse, one can only wish that the youth would look up and notice Echo, thus coming face to face with his true other-self.