-- What More Lonely --

by John Herlihy

What loneliness more lonely than distrust,

The feeling of being betrayed, left in the dust.

What patience more patient than what the heart sings,

To hear the words in the whisper of a bird’s wings.

What boredom is more boring than a story thin,

A tale told by an idiot with an outcome grim.

What prayer more prayerful than gazing into the mist,

Lost in the mystery of the Divine seeking to be blest.

What bone more broken than a broken promise,

The bone will heal itself without any malice.

What departure more final than the leave-taking of death,

What arrival more welcoming than the arrival of a birth.

What loss more hurtful than the loss of the loved one,

Found again in the fabric of a memory eternally spun.

- - - - - -

Copyright © John Herlihy

Saturday 8 June 2024