Presence and Absence
By John Herlihy

Your presence makes me feel young,
My heart on fire, my soul has sung.
Your absence gets old, oh so quick,
Wondering where you are, I’m sick.

Your presence makes me feel sure,
All of life’s tribulations I may endure.
Your absence makes me feel absent,
With you gone, I feel as if I’ve been lent.

Your presence feels like a new moon,
Descending in an entrancing swoon.
Your absence feels like a dry old well,
No longer safe under your magical spell.

Your presence brings relief as I kneel,
A dream torn from clouds made real.
Your absence I find difficult to bear,
Missing you, it just doesn’t seem fair.

The dreaded absence lurks oh so near,
The glorious presence holds me dear.
May your absence never fill my days;
May your presence fill me up always.