Near and Far

John Herlihy

Everything is near,

The day, the hour.

Nothing is far,

Not even the night of power.

Every day is the first,

The origin and source is near.

Every day is the last,

The midnight hour held dear.

Those mountains seem far,

I feel them in my heart.

The beating makes them near,

Thrilled by what they impart.

The moon seems far,

Yet there it is, oh so near.

Slowly, I see it depart,

Inducing a solitary tear.

The whole world is near,

As near as wind, light

It could never be far

There, everywhere, in sight

The future is near,

Just over the edge.

Midnight now in the rear,

The day waiting in pledge,

The past is far,

Over, finished, gone.

Its battle scars still near

The memories still belong.

The stars seem far,

In truth, oh so near.

Hearts pierced from afar

Falling on their spear,

Doubting leads us far,

Obstacles along the way.

Beyond that far distant star,

With uncertainty here to stay.

Disbelief leads us far,

Negating all that is true .

Lies and errors cling near,

Washing away all we knew.

Uncertainty never far,

When truth is far.

Certainty is near,

Near as truth is near.

God is the Near One,

He could never be far.

True friend, the only one,

My beacon light, my North star.

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(c) John Herlihy 11 August 2020