-- The Faraway Nearby –

John Herlihy

The faraway finds a way to draw nearby,

The mysterious finds a way to come clear.

Those distant mountain peaks soar on high,

The longer I look at them they draw near.

Those distant stars in their silence telling,

Whispers that when listened to can be heard.

Migratory birds on their journeys foretelling,

Coming of winter that in their minds stirred.

The horizon in the distance at world’s edge,

The hem of the earth with hints of the beyond.

Brought near into our hearts as a fervent pledge,

The promise of heaven and earth as sacred bond.

Sometimes an answer arrives before a question,

A sublime revelation dawned before being asked.

Wrongful acts never committed inspire confession,

Darkness better seen in the glow of light’s contrast.

A decision taken before we knew it was even made,

We struggle when we don’t know clearly what to do.

Yet we discover it, there it is, in the heart like jade,

This precious stone in the depths of ourselves grew.

Mysteries in life block so much, until we find the key,

The key to knowledge lies in a door waiting to open.

A skeleton key that snugly fits all the doors of reality,

Releasing words and verses otherwise left unspoken.

Far distant is the grand expanse of the sea and sky,

If nothing else, the silence alone renders us mute.

Yet they convey an inner strength, how and why,

Their mystery runs in our veins as a spirit astute.

The departure, the journey, the destination, the way,

Approaching near as soon as we seek the faraway.

- - - - - -

Copyright © John Herlihy

Friday 20 May 2022