-- Someone Waits for Me --

by John Herlihy

The quarter moon hangs quietly low,

Like a sharp sickle, like a taut bow.

Countless numbers of stars hang high,

In the blackened plate of moonlit sky.

I trod upon this lonely, rugged road,

My over-strained heart ready to explode.

On this unique journey, I am basically alone,

Swirling dust beating against brittle bone.

The moon shines down upon someone else,

The silence of the night beating as a pulse.

Wherever I go, the universe goes with me,

To a destination where someone waits for me.

Along the way, I encounter rivers and savannahs,

I take them along with me singing hosannahs.

I cross vast oceans and climb steep mountains,

I hear bees buzzing, the gurgle of spring fountains.

More of life now left behind than what lies ahead,

I imagine a world where soon I will no longer tread.

Who can articulate the chasm of joy and sorrow,

That are but threads in the days leading to tomorrow.

Someone waiting for me feels like I’m already there,

With our hearts entwined in one, solitary prayer.

As if lost, someone is out there waiting to find me,

As if found, I journey to someone waiting for me.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 23 February 2025