Subterranean Currents
By John Herlihy

Disappointment need not be just disappointing;
All of our emotions have their own anointing.

Solitude allows us to live with ourselves alone;
Time to unveil hidden layers in order to atone.

The line ‘tween wanting and needing thin indeed;
Inside the cave of the heart meagre light to read.

What is the difference between desire and lust;
Both have dimensions that convey a sense of must.

Temptation finds its sustenance in a world of delight;
Luring us into fatal attractions as if from pure spite.

The infinitude of generosity always allows for more;
The finitude of resources will witness an empty store.

The knowledge of giving seems to allow for no end;
The virtue of sharing allows us to endlessly spend.

We cannot cross vast distances that do not exist;
We can scale mountains so long as we still persist.

The world beckons us forward with its boney finger;
We stride blindly forward with little desire to linger.

Life sends rain as drops of happiness from a cloud;
Loneliness a shadow that stalks us even in a crowd.

A lingering sadness need not be just about sorrow;
Subterranean currents flow from today to tomorrow.

Misery is often accompanied by its own justification;
While guilt for wrong-doing very little satisfaction.

We endure certain failure when preceded by happiness;
Or when followed by fresh energy to eradicate sadness.

And oh yes, PS, much of my life has already taken place;
Those deep currents made manifest on the human face.