-- One Last Regret --

by John Herlihy

We live our lives full of mystery,

Seeking enigmas our souls to uplift.

Behind the veil a world of secrecy,

That through the sieve of life we sift.

The sheer delicacy of the orchid,

Intoxicating perfume of the rose.

A world of knowledge under a lid,

Unknown answers we only suppose.

We feel the passing of the hour,

But what is the meaning of time.

A bud, opening petals, the flower,

I live a precious life that isn’t mine.

At death I will everything forget,

No memories on the other side.

One thing, however, I will regret,

There where no mysteries reside.

No doubt heaven offers answers,

To all those perennial questions.

Mysteries stalking us like panthers,

In the mind’s mirror of reflections.

If I am offered heaven, I’ll accept,

Could I refuse an eternity blessed.

But what is heaven with no regret,

All those mysteries sorely missed.

One last regret that simmers,

That remembers another time.

In a field of stars that glimmers,

I once valued mysteries as mine.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 8 October 2023