-- Goodbyes Belong to No One --

John Herlihy

Hellos belong to everyone,

From harmony and inclusion sung.

Goodbyes belong to no one,

From dust motes and cobwebs spun.

Arrival rides in on a fair wind,

As celebratory as barking dogs.

Departure merely sad sorrows lend,

Echoed in the wolf howl of arctic bogs.

Greetings fill hearts to the brim,

Our joy and happiness together vie.

Leave-taking makes people feel grim,

A kind of death without having to die.

Hellos sung with the breath of a cry;

Goodbyes whispered quietly on the sly.

A treasure trove of a thousand hellos;

No one wants a single, sad goodbye.

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(c) John Herlihy 10 May 2019