-- Without Emotion --

John Herlihy

Who would I be without my emotion?

Who would I be without such devotion?

From where it comes that I feel its touch

That comes with no asking, gives so much?

Where would I be without love’s finger,

Not easy to find, but love’s emotions linger?

Where am I indeed without love’s longing,

Without that intimate sense of belonging?

Where would I be with no sadness or regret,

Nothing to remember and nothing to forget?

Where would I be without happiness and joy,

No childhood laughter when I was just a boy?

Would I still be human with no envy or rage,

No deep confusion, no wisdom of the sage?

What would I ever be as cold, hard, inhuman,

Bereft of the emotions that make me human?

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(c) John Herlihy 22 May 2020