-- He Looked As If --

by John Herlihy

,

When a poet casts his look,

Imagine what it is he sees.

Verses written in a book,

Melodies echoing with ease.

He looked as if he were seeing,

Piecing together shattered dreams.

He looked as if he were weaving,

His tapestry of life at the seams.

He looked as if he were listening,

For a footstep waiting to be heard.

He looked as if he were hearing,

The ancient song of a dawn bird.

He looked as if he were tasting,

The aftermath of a passionate kiss.

He looked as if he were savoring,

The inner core of heavenly bliss.

He looked as if he were touching,

The watermark of a tender caress.

The looked as if he were touching,

His love-bleeding heart no less.

He looked as if he were smelling,

The aromatic perfume of the rose.

He look as if he were telling,

The tale breathed into his nose.

We don’t know what’s in a look,

At the horizon, the sky we gaze.

Sweet voices in a country brook,

Shadowy light seen in the haze.

What do you see, I asked,

He said, visions behind the veil.

In a beatific world to bask,

Then return to tell the tale.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Saturday 23 December 2023