Fortune’s Fingerprint
By John Herlihy (Tuesday 2/1/18)

Fortune’s fingerprint brings with it a unique tread,
A labyrinth of blessing woven with nature’s thread.
It arrives uninvited, unannounced, unique in kind,
Never dreamed of in the wild corners of the mind.
When it might leave its mark, nobody truly knows;
In life, we are just guessing and can only suppose.

I am no stranger to night’s darkness and its mystery,
The murky shadows of life are a part of my history.
The years keep rolling on and nothing new appears,
I pay what comes due and hold nothing in arrears.
I’ve enjoyed my full share of love such that it was,
Now as an old man, it all seems like so much fuzz.

It makes one wonder what all the fuss was about,
Love’s passion had its moment, a wild solitary shout.
Love had the feeling of being nestled amid clouds,
A dreamy contentment far from maddening crowds.
In the long ago, now dried flowers within the seams,
To wonder what happened, what it all truly means.

I’ve had my share of good fortune, a cyclical miracle,
Laying its soft touch on me with a voice most lyrical.
I simply took in what happened and made it my own,
Grateful for the part I played with gentle winds blown.
Now as I lay down to sleep, I feel a new kind of peace;
Old age has its compensations, may they never cease.