Promises Have No Now
By John Herlihy

I
Promises have no now;
They live in the future, a sacred vow.
Promises lie patiently in waiting;
They have integrity so long as they are enticing.
When the promise happens or is no longer kept,
They are vanished, gone, dead without any precept.
Often they are whispered in earnest,
When broken, they become immodest.
They have arrived in the here and now,
Only to die an unnatural death somehow.
Promises march forth into the realm of neverland;
They return as pigmies sinking their toes into the sand.
Make me a promise that I can keep as my own;
Break your promise and I will leave you alone.

II
People promise what they hope to fulfill;
They make a pledge they hope to instill,
Into a brother, lover or friend,
To be true from now until the end.
We should not promise what we cannot do;
Otherwise, we will do something we cannot undo.
When I look into your dreamy eyes,
I see nothing but endless promise there.
When you close your eyes and turn away,
I feel nothing but an enveloping despair.
We make a promise said in good faith,
When we break a promise, it becomes a wraith.
A promise is wrapped in ribbons as the perfect gift;
When opened, it disappears into time’s bottomless rift.