-- Let Us Gather by the River --

John Herlihy

Let us gather by the side of the river,

Where angels lightly tread on crystal tides.

River eyes reflecting light, river wavelets shiver,

Pure waters where the world of fish resides.

Listen attentive to the river and its tale,

Whispering sweet nothings of life and lore.

Magical mysteries as bread never to go stale,

Relating wondrous stories never heard before.

Let us stand in the timelessness of the river,

To witness the event of the river being born.

To quietly salute the eternal flow of the river,

As it disappears in the mist, as we feel forlorn.

Let us bask into the abiding beauty of the river,

Wending its way on its own mysterious course.

It asks for nothing and gives away everything,

Ever seeking its outlet to the sea without remorse.

Let us be blessed by the truth of the river,

Its lullaby for the living; its lullaby for the dying.

Its message as ageless as the night, as the stars,

Always moving, never still, on celestial rhythms relying.

Let us gather by the side of the river to weep,

For all those having lived and for the dying.

As the river flows onward, riverlets in ground seep,

The river of time never stops, on its steady flow relying.

Yes, we will gather at the beautiful, beautiful river,

Listen to the whispered stories it will our hearts tell.

At its own placid pace, ever moving, ever flowing,

Until emptying into the cosmic sea in final farewell.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Friday 1 October 2021