Beyond Nature
By John Herlihy

We live within the fold of nature’s embrace;
The sun rises in the morning to shine on our face.
The moon rises in the evening as if in disgrace;
The stars twinkle their mystery far in outer space.

Morning welcomes the day with open arms;
The mystery of the night sings sacred psalms.
The phases of the moon speak of changing times;
The rhythm of the tides whisper hushed rhymes.

The seasons run their course without missing a step;
Spring strolls into summer without making a misstep.
Autumn lays down to die in a forgetful stupor;
The arrival of winter heralds an inauspicious future.

These are the perennial rhythms that nature abides;
As systematic and predictable as the ocean tides.
Ignore nature’s warnings, then her beauty merely hides;
Nature shows the way as one of God’s faithful guides.

Up will mean down and youth will precede age;
No one will listen to the voice of the sage.
The innocent will die and fiendish devils will prevail;
The earth stripped naked against an unholy gale.

We are duty-bound to follow rhythms of a normal life;
Reach beyond nature and you will find only strife.
Within every drop or leaf lies a secret waiting to be told;
Nature’s mercy knows no bounds, its bounty simply unfolds.