-- Dawn Heralds Twilight --

By John Herlihy

Dawn heralds twilight,

Just as twilight heralds dawn.

Stars descend into the night,

As the first night light is born.

The twilight remembers dawn,

As the dark night veils the day.

Dawn remembers twilight,

Each one has first and final say.

The sea surges into its flow,

The flow recedes into its ebb.

All actions into destiny sew,

In the intricacy of the web.

Autumn leaves tremble,

Before winter’s death stark.

Spring rains arrive humble,

Announced by a chirping lark.

From where the dawn rises?

At dusk, where does it go?

Yet its arrival always surprises,

Matters little what we don’t know.

What matters is the precision,

The faithfulness, the regularity.

Dawn and dusk contain a vision,

An ebb and flow that we never see.

Time moves on its course forward,

As minutes and hours disappear.

The past always looks backward,

As new tomorrows reappear.

Riches our greatest poverty,

Wealth that we fear to lose.

What lies beyond us a mystery,

The one thing needful to choose.

In poverty lies plenitude,

Promises waiting to be filled.

In loneliness lies solitude,

Hearts waiting to be stilled.

A church bell tolls the hour,

The resounding echo never lies.

Its loyalty holds unique power,

The passage of time never dies.

The eternal circle ever spins,

Whatever begins always ends.

A budding flower into the day grins,

As time its precious moment lends.

On the prairie stands a tree alone,

Noble witness to this recurring beauty.

The wonder we feel in flesh and bone,

As we witness this enduring mystery.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 18 June 2023