- The Meaning of Me -

By John Herlihy

We are reminded of the unknown every day,

The unseen, not the seen, with more to say.

But who stops and takes the time to notice,

On Asia’s pond, the white petals of the lotus.

What about the stars and their glorious sight,

That swarm like bees in the bottomless night.

A shooting star might capture our attention,

We gaze in wonder at its honorable mention.

What if stars in the heavens never appeared,

How we indeed would take notice, how weird?

Gone would be any comfort that the stars bring,

The distant light seems near as they quietly sing.

What if our earth’s landscape were totally flat,

A clear view to the horizon from wherever we sat?

We would cry out in anguish at the sheer monotony,

As in a desert plain without so much as a single tree.

Gone all the beauty of those rivers, lakes and ponds,

That glisten in moonlight as if struck by magic wands.

Shroud the murky waters in dark shadows of the lake,

Misery and despair would flow freely in the river’s wake.

Horses stood in the dark watching beyond our knowing,

The vast oceans drowning into the horizon overflowing.

Whales ferry their souls across the wild, seamless sea,

I just stand there and wonder about the meaning of me.

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(c) John Herlihy January 2019