The Secret of Things

by John Herlihy

Oh, how I wish to discover the secret of things,

Secrets that lie within the heart of life's offerings.

Aromatic perfumes within the heart of the rose,
The dream-filled slumber that we live as we doze.

The panorama of sight that thrives within the eye,

Mountain peaks and placid ponds that induce a sigh.

Visions I heard in the silence of an unsounded bell,

As multi-colored autumn leaves from a weary tree fell.

In the heart of a palm tree a succulent date,

A bud transformed to a bloom and never wait.

The quiet sigh heard in a gentle breath of breeze,

The frosted lace that covers skeletal winter trees.

In the heart of my friend lies a trust worth giving,

In my own tender heart a trust worth receiving.

The secret beauty of flower petals that quietly unfold,

Secrets as colored threads that wind thru a story told.

Some secrets so secret that they will never unveiled,

All of the secrets waiting to be discovered, still veiled.

Let me sit back and listen as all of nature sweetly sings,

Let the world softly whisper to me the secret of things.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Wednesday 21 January 2026