The Idea of Character

by John Herlihy

Oh, how I miss the idea of character,

Perhaps I should say “fact” and all it implies.

Where has it gone and why has it departed?

The calm presence that it once evoked,

The brave nobility of its wise posture.

In the long ago, in another era of time,

When character was considered everything.

An altar before which all decency bowed,

From a sweet spring did character flow,

Into a flowing river whose inner light shimmers.

Character has now disappeared over a waterfall,

Riding the mist into tumultuous depths.

Down into the deep chasm of the modern era.

Whoever deigns to speak of character anymore,

With money, success and hyperbole all around.

Is anyone left who cares about character?

Who cares about the innate decency of a person?

Answer: Anyone who cares about the nobility of soul

Where the essence of human character finds its roots.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Tuesday 29 April 2025