Couplets in Opposition
by John Herlihy
Courage ready to meet the dare
Cowardice relies solely on prayer.
Grief asks not for permission;
Joy waits not for remission.
Desire cares nothing for loss;
Despair rules our minds as a boss.
Attachment wants to hold on;
Detachment wants to let go.
Patience serves sentinel at the gate;
Impatience has no intention to wait.
Such sorrow never before reckoned;
Such bliss never before beckoned.
The past no longer has chance;
The future waits on happenstance.
Endings open doors that begin;
Beginnings bear seeds of an end.
Hope seeks what may yet be;
Fear clings to what may never be.
Truth walks with open hands;
Illusions walk on shifting sands.
Opposites shape the life we live;
One takes what others give.
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Copyright © John Herlihy
Wednesday 21 January 2026
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