-- All the Perfections –

John Herlihy

Face of an infant without guile,

The purity of its beatific smile.

The sweet innocence of the child,

Instinctive, uncompromising, wild.

The perfection of a beauty mark,

As if tracing a work of fine art.

Within the cresting arc of a wave,

The inner sanctuary of a holy nave.

Wings of a bird lifted, eyes awoken,

Stirring a desire for flight in the open.

In the swan’s neck a question mark,

Is such beauty its rightful birthmark?

Her heart love pounded in my palm,

In morse code best a loving psalm.

The way time moves thru the world,

Secretly creating the oyster’s pearl.

The way each eye sees the loved one,

The love a fabric of intimacy spun.

The way a person cares for another,

As if the cure were for one’s brother.

The comfort one feels in being cared for,

A moment, an act of giving, utterly pure.

The warm embrace of a valued trust,

Intimacy that protects from feeling lost.

Behind closed eyes, darkness as in night,

Behind closed eyes, darkness filled with light.

Her bronze eyes shining a tale told,

As if illuminated with specks of gold.

The vigilance of conscience, awakening,

The voice of conscience, witnessing.

Seeking motivation for our sins to atone,

Forgiveness for deeds the weight of stone.

We live in a world of imperfections,

Taking note of all the perfections.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Thursday 16 September 2021