-- No Sorrow, No Joy --
John Herlihy
There is no sorrow as the sorrow,
When you are longing for happiness.
There is no joy as the joy,
When you have just avoided clear danger.
There is no silence as the silence,
When you are expecting the presence of sound.
There is no noise as the noise,
When you are looking forward to silence.
There is no hope as the hope,
When you are living with chronic despair.
There is no despair as the despair,
When all you want is a little hope.
There is no indifference as the indifference,
When you are expecting a justly deserved gratitude.
There is no gratitude as the gratitude,
When you are accustomed to people’s indifference.
There is no feeling of loneliness as loneliness,
When you are ready to fall in love.
There is no readiness to fall in love,
When you haven’t experienced the well of loneliness.
Nothing can be experienced in its true essence,
When its opposite has not made known its presence.
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Copyright ©John Herlihy
Thursday 27 May 2021
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He reminded me of the time, lying in my hospital bed, when carolers stopped briefly by my open door, and then passed on down the hall. I suddenly, uncharacteristically of me burst out crying, so happy to be alive!
And then, my sister's girlfriend from high school poked her head in the door, and retreated, thinking I was sad. I called her back in, and we had a good chat.
Ron