-- First and Final Hour --

John Herlihy

The first hour

Breathes freshness into dawn.

Sunlight to flower,

The universal day is born.

The dawn hour,

To whom does it belong?

The twilight hour,

Offering up its soulful song.

Sadness found,

In the passing of the hour.

Gladness found,

In the coming of the hour.

Future hours,

Arriving, pressing, living.

Past hours,

Departing, fleeting, dying.

The hour heavy,

Making many undue demands.

The hour light,

Hope arising until it lands.

The hour busy,

With nothing to hide.

The hour fearful,

Where our secrets reside.

Hours of the day,

Bursting with bright sunlight.

Hours of the night,

The earth basking in moonlight.

The hateful hour,

The minutes beating frantic.

The loving hour,

The minutes beating romantic.

The impatient hour,

Seemingly without end.

The patient hour,

To end when it will end.

The final hour far,

Every moment beware.

The final moment near,

Pierced by time’s spear.

The final hour,

The minutes lying in wait.

The final moment,

Arriving at death’s gate.

The everlasting hour,

When the soul lives forever.

The eternal hour,

Living Spirit forever and ever.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Monday 20 February 2023