THE CUP OF NATURE

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JOHN HERLIHY

Give me the cup of nature,

And I will drink a toast to the gods.

Give me the sweet nectar of life,

And I will turn into lightning rods.

I will drink the salt of the ocean’s waves,

Sip the rainwater found in darkened caves.

To breathe under water like the fishes,

To cast magic spells like the witches.

To drink bee honey and tree trunk sap,

To gaze upon swans gliding in nature’s lap.

I have witnessed the making of the world,

As beautiful as a rosebud with petals unfurled.

Previous gems made smooth by angel’s palms,

Sonorous melodies heard from ancient psalms.

Thunder shakes the earth with its organ peals,

Waters of glacial spring replenish arctic seals.

Subterranean caverns dark as the darkest night,

The beauty of lilies, water lotus, and their soft light.

The Lower World reflecting Upper World’s glade,

The roots of oak trees nestled amid night shade.

In the glorious mist of it all, Nature’s Mother,

Offering her overflowing cup to the Cosmic Father.

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(c) John Herlihy 19 January 2020