If I Knew You and You Knew Me

If I knew you and you knew me--
  If both of us could clearly see,
And with an inner sight divine
  The meaning of your heart and mine--
I'm sure that we would differ less
  And clasp our hands in friendliness;
Our thoughts would pleasantly agree
  If I knew you and you knew me.

If I knew you and you knew me,
  As each one knows his own self, we
Could look each other in the face
  And see therein a truer grace.
Life has so many hidden woes,
  So many thorns for every rose;
The "why" of things our hearts would see,
  If I knew you and you knew me.

--Nixon Waterman