-- Retreat into Solitude --

John Herlihy

There are times when only solitude is the answer

In our tale.

Some unexpected disappointment, a life-changing event

Lost the holy grail.

A need to turn away from the contingencies of the world

And its cruelties.

To lay oneself down in the clearing of a wakeful sleep

Free of one’s duties.

An unhappiness, some misery, to bravely endure

A lasting sorrow.

The treachery of a friend, the rejection of a lover,

As we enter tomorrow.

To wrap oneself completely in the protective cocoon

Of being alone.

With absolutely no desire of intrusion or interruption

To be solitary prone.

The night draws close and the distant stars drift down,

All nature coming near.

The moon and its tributary moonbeams lend their frown

Another world held dear.

There to lie sequestered, to simply drain away

Every second, minute, hour.

To be emptied of this world, in another world to stay

Absorbing its special power.

To find in the sacred grove of quietude,

The much needed and soothing balm of solitude.

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(c) John Herlihy 14 July 2020