-- The Last Hope --

John Herlihy

The last hope may well be the first,

The last frail desire to quench my thirst.

The last feeble wish appearing as dutiful,

The last budding bloom emerging as beautiful.

The first hope that ever crossed my path,

The first despair lost in the aftermath.

The first dawning hope shining without end,

The first dying hope to mark hope’s end.

All those hopes in between as subtle tones,

All those hopes now crushed into broken bones.

All those hopes whispering secrets to say,

All those hopes but random pebbles on the way.

The first hope shines as a star nocturnal,

The last hope survives as a promise eternal.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Wednesday 15 December 2021