-- The Secret of the Desert --

By John Herlihy

I have the key but where’s the lock,

Seeking can lose sight of what’s sought.

I have the lock but where’s the key,

To open the door to reveal the true me.

I see all the shadows but where’s the light,

Shadows that make the day seem as night.

I see the light that casts many a shadow,

For shadows prove the light that we know.

I feel all the happiness but fear the sorrow,

Today surely proves the coming of tomorrow.

I suffer the sorrow to appreciate the happiness,

Without yin/yang there would be no progress.

The secret of the desert: that it harbors a well,

The mystery of sound in the silence of the bell.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 24 September 2023