The Eternal Question
By John Herlihy

The eternal question stares us in the face, one and all;
Some people do not heed it; other people hold it in thrall.
The eternal question on our lips and hearts, its voice telling;
We know not what it truly is, but it is there for the asking.
If the question is never asked, who can expect an answer?
Life’s mystery will stalk us relentlessly like a wild panther.
The tree is battered down through centuries of struggle,
With beauty in its limbs, but its leaves still quietly rustle.
The waterfall thunders across the silence of the jungle,
Speaking with the voice of nature, not a word to bungle.
The rainbow heralds the end of a storm in all its beauty;
It asks no frivolous question, only performs a simple duty.
The mirage appears in the desert, there to give a warning;
To speak of our loss, under the protection of life’s awning.
The timid deer lifts its noble head and questions the air;
All of nature answers its question, with meaning to spare.
Surrender yourself, in the harmony of nature stand tall;
At last, the eternal answer is promised, once and for all.