-- Shades of the Heart --

John Herlihy

How to put one’s finger on the pulse of the heart,

That beats to rhythm from which we cannot depart.

The heart beats as a drum, but what of its strings;

When strung taut, the violin sadly and happily sings.

Random notes of the heart flow of their own accord;

If tender, hard, or brave, each strikes its own chord.

White hearts emit odors of innocence, others to uplift;

Black hearts swim in murky waters, in darkness drift.

The heart of stone tends to be cruel, to the touch cold,

As the sparkle of good will shines in the heart of gold.

Lights illuminate the faithful heart with feelings tender;

Blackness darkens the unfaithful heart its evil to render.

As a rising moon, the heart has shades that wax and wane;

The hard heart will speak against itself in its final refrain.

When the satanic heart turns to stone, the darkness it steals;

When the sanctified heart radiates and rings true , it peals.

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(c) John Herlihy 27 August 2020