-- Times of Trouble -–

John Herlihy

In times of trouble, people find themselves alone,

Drained of all hopes and pared down to the bone.

Who can one turn to for support and consolation,

Someone to releasee those feelings of desolation.

Troubled times sweep as a wave across the world,

Times of trouble fill a reservoir in our inner world.

The reservoir so deep it feels like a bottomless pit,

Searching aimless and adrift, life drained of all wit.

I awaken in the morning a dark cloud in my mind,

Another rainy day, I am accustomed and resigned.

At every corner, I see a neighborhood so unfamiliar.

What can I do now to make my world more familiar?

Times of trouble force us to confront ourselves deep,

To take new steps of fate with graciousness to meet.

In times of trouble, people do find themselves alone

Hands folded, eyes cast down, in a ray of light shone.

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(c) John Herlihy 21 December 2018