Mirror Poems

-- Attached --

by John Herlihy

Oh, so many things I simply cannot live without,

Like thieves whose escape would turn into a rout.

All my possessions serve as nest egg and treasure,

I do count my blessings that come without measure.

How accustomed I am to all the comforts of home ,

My little house on the prairie under heaven’s dome.

I do enjoy a pleasant lifestyle to which I am attached,

Far be it for me to go through life feeling detached.

Good heavens, detached from all things I hold dear,

My friends, my loved ones, may they ever be near.

Without my attachments, what to do, where to go,

I have no clue; somebody tell me what I don’t know.

Yet a day will come when we will enter the unknown,

To leave all our attachments behind in wind blown.

-- Detached --

by John Herlihy

Oh, I have so many things that I can live without,

They are but thieves that may flee away in a rout.

All my possessions serve as utility, not as wealth,

I count my blessings, nothing achieved by stealth.

My home as a rightful place for passing the hours,

My little house is simple, for others lofty towers.

I well know that one day I must take my leave,

Leave behind all attachments, no need to grieve.

Being detached doesn’t lessen what I hold dear,

In my hallowed lifetime, all my loved ones near.

Still, what freedom to leave attachments behind,

Stripped of all needy possessions, clarity of mind.

Yet in the end, I will freely walk into the unknown,

To leave all my attachments behind in wind blown.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Tuesday 17 December 2024