- Song of the World -

By John Herlihy

The song of the world often sung without notice,

Ignored on the sparkling pond, a floating lotus.

Extending in supplication its petals far and wide,

On the glass surface of water, it seems to glide.

When wonder appears, it steals away the heart,

To ignite feelings we hope will never break part.

Wild and free and inviting, its door opened wide,

All the grace of the world we have never espied.

We understand the world of nature to be mute,

With the finely-tuned whistle of the wind blessed.

In the depths of the darkest night, I hear a flute,

Its sacred, lyric melody my aching soul caressed.

Each new dawn arising, reflective, streaming bright,

Bestowing upon the world its faithful, trusted light.

The day awash sun-bright, living a waking dream;

The darkness will never know what it might mean.

The song of the world arises in places we never look,

In twilight, in mountain valleys, in starlight of a brook.

To remember the mystery of the world’s oldest song;

Akin to ancient rhythms found in the howl of wolf song.

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(c) John Herlihy December 2018