End of the Road
By John Herlihy

When we come to the end of the road,
What will we have to say for ourselves?
Mighten be nobody there for the askin’;
But I sure as hell will be up for the tellin’.

It’s been a mighty long way in goin’
Might be a thought worth expressin’.
Never imagined it would take so long
Might be a notion well worth sayin’.

In my time, I did a whole lot of wonderin’,
As sure as mountain peaks did thunderin’.
Most of us just seeking answers to tell,
Live a good life, struggle and rest a spell.

I did a whole lot of scribblin’ and scrawlin’;
Sometimes it felt like on all fours crawlin’.
Just taking a ride jotting down wild notions,
Sucking in the breeze and its magic potions.

Wolves may raise heads at the moon to howl;
Panthers stalk the earth at their prey to growl.
All animals in the kingdom make urgent protest,
Anticipating the day they must lay down to rest.

With a few broken teeth and short of breath,
I finally didn’t have anything very much left.
Just soakin’ up the sun on bristly cold days,
Hopin’ to sort it out, the world and its ways.

Kinda pitiful when you come to think of it,
Reaching a point to stand on the brink of it.
One moment breathin’ in; life gatherin’ sail,
The next just lying there, dead as a door nail.

Hey there Pop, i heard, as light does shine;
Stop, just drop, as in some echoing rhyme.
Your day done, lay down, your destiny over;
Now lift gently that blanket of four-leaf clover.