No Greater Sorrow
By John Herlihy

Within the multitude of sorrows, which one is greatest?
Within the world of yesterday, which sorrow is faintest?
I know what I have suffered and endured n the past;
I do not know what lies in wait that may linger and last.

Worlds unwind at the thought of what we do not know;
Questions continue to arise about what we need to sow.
Sometimes we do things that bring sorrow on ourselves;
A twist of fate ushers in sorrows pretending to be elves.

Sorrows take on a life of their own and can often linger;
We think they are here to stay and often we remember.
Only when they eventually drift away do we finally forget;
In the mist of the past when they settle as loss and regret.

Happiness may put in an appearance with its soft smile;
It may set us within the clouds of heaven to linger a while.
But soon enough, we drift back down to our place on earth,
To realize the ups and downs that began with a cry at birth.

What is the greatest sorrow, you may ask, one like no other,
A sorrow so meaningful and deep it can tolerate no brother.
There is no greater sorrow, I replied, than true sorrow itself;
Each sorrow has its own misery, deeply suffered and truly felt.