-- GHOST ROAD TO HEAVEN --

John Herlihy

The ghost road to heaven passes through earth’s valley,

Unique journey of exile leading down many a dark alley.

As we set out on the road, the way forward is unfamiliar,

Thru twists and turns, up and down, paths most peculiar.

The ghost road to heaven passes through many climes,

Dust-strewn, thru sinuous shades, tinkling eerie chimes.

As hesitant as a flower bud and as fickle as the weather,

To tiptoe upon hot coals or run laughing through heather.

The ghost road to heaven can be marked with life stages,

At first, we pay our way with innocence, later with wages.

Landmarks loom in the distance to disappear in the past,

On the way, they arrive with their moment, but never last.

The ghost road to heaven takes on an aura feeling unreal,

The journey no longer is ours, with each moment we steal.

A baby’s christening, then coming of age, all full of cheer,

University graduation, first job, promotion, as others leer.

The ghost road to heaven makes our sole rite of passage,

Only we can decipher its meaning and absorb its message.

Milestones at road’s edge, each marking passage of time,

They fly by with a swish, then simply gone, no longer mine.

The ghost road of life leads to some unknown destination,

We cannot disembark nor make any kind of protestation.

As deer on the run through the forest of the darkest night,

We can freeze in motion in the glare of otherworldly light.

The ghost road of life may lead to heaven or lead to hell,

We have destiny to meet, the end result no one can tell.

What we accomplish will be weighed on destiny’s scale,

To finally end up at home, as we reach beyond the pale.

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(c) John Herlihy 24 March 2019