Once Upon a Time

by John Herlihy

Once upon a time, there lived a poet in a distant land

who wrote sonnets heard from the muse’s command

The poet good at dictation, writing one after another

Each of the poems treasured, considered as a brother

One poem among many, standing together in ranks 

With the timidity of a bird, to give ones humble thanks

We write poems for their value, not for their praise

Poems that appear out of nowhere, emerge from haze

Ideas begin to take shape, in little clusters they breathe

Words that seek only the truth with no wish to deceive

With a final sigh, the poem comes to its rightful end

Once as a stranger, the poem now as a true friend

Verses drawn from the inspiration of a fervent mind

Words that lay themselves down, humble and kind

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Friday 9 January 2026