Map of the World
By John Herlihy

Little could come near to quieting his spirit these days;
The world now annoyed him with its inscrutable ways.
In his younger years, he followed his map of the world;
The years passed like a parchment slowly being unfurled.
Growing up, coming of age, going out to work in a career,
He travelled thru many countries to explore earth’s frontier.

But as the years passed, he felt more and more harassed,
As if great swathes of his life had been cruelly bypassed.
Marriage, recognition, success, fulfillment, even fame,
All flowed as a river that carried someone else’s name.
If you continue to work and live into your 60s and 70s,
The monotonies of routine become one’s losing equities.

People’s eyes annoyed him with their lean, leonine look;
Another’s livid face and sneering mouth his serenity shook.
Some of his dwindling friends were insincere behind a mask;
While others left him alone as if they had given up the task.
Some people simply smiled, but you knew nothing was there;
Others projected indifference or distain, no mercy to spare.

Oh, to sink deeply into the sea blue projected up on high,
To witness the cold blossoms in spring or warm sapphire sky.
Oh, to feel aching loneliness become comforting solitude,
To feel the tickle of grass or the mulch of earth as plenitude.
One runs a risk of turning life’s encounters into dried flowers,
That have lost their endearing scent and their elusive powers.

Clearly in today’s world, the enigmas of life continue to abound;
Theological mysteries hinder our hope for answers to be found.
From high above, everything below looks pygmy in the distance;
From far below, everything above looks blurry, offering resistance.
The final answer lies hidden in the unchartered map of the world,
Deceiving everyone who passes by with its glorious flags unfurled.