-- Lonely Solitude –

John Herlihy

Solitude can feel lonely, always being alone,

Day and night alone, toward loneliness prone.

Follow routine, keep busy, not think too much,

The quiet calm of solitude can feel like a crutch.

It’s not the minutes and hours that are at stake,

But the yawning tomorrows that we cannot fake.

Day after day alone, without any hope, promise,

The days slip by, but the nights offer little solace.

The mind a fickle thing, we are soon accustomed,

One day we feel enriched, another day flustered.

The seclusion of solitude gives a sense of fulness,

The isolation of loneliness a desolate emptiness.

One thing clear, when alone, one must dig deep,

In the well of solitude, waters of loneliness seep.

A solitude by choice offers feelings incomparable,

A desperate loneliness offers feelings unbearable.

In solitude, the wistful cry of the loon sings to me,

In loneliness, a loon sings, but doesn’t sing to me.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Wednesday 16 March 2022