I Will Not Miss the World

by John Herlihy

I will not miss the world when I finally die,

With the final breath, I will utter a quiet sigh.

Hopefully, my days on earth were all well spent,

All the seconds, minutes, hours, my life has lent.

I will thank the world and the frothy, blue sea,

I will thank God for the blessings I found in me.

Thanks as well for the blessed gift of the mind,

The thoughts, dreams, sorrows to leave behind.

Thankful to the mind to know what life meant,

Thankful for a heart and its enduring sentiment.

Thankful for the courage that did make me brave,

Thankful for all the good will that I to others gave.

For all the glorious deeds that in life I did aspire,

For all the wayward deeds that left me in the mire.

I was never a hero, but there is no need for blame,

No need to hang a weary head, no need for shame.

I travelled the world over, left footprints in the sand,

Stars of the night lent their mysteries as guiding hand.

Searched all my life for answers, never found the key,

Instead, I found comfort in being true to myself, to me.

Lest we forget to mention, all the joys, all the sorrow,

All the miracles, wonders, trials of today and tomorrow.

On my ship of state, I journeyed standing at the helm,

Across mountains, oceans, and savannahs in God’s realm.

A moment will surely come when I must take my leave,

Depart the reality of this world, I will let others grieve.

Ah, this glorious, wondrous world, I will not miss it though,

This is not the only world that I will ever come to know.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Tuesday 20 May 2025