Forty passed me by

I barely felt the cold wind.

My son was born just that year.

But last night I fell into a dream tunnel

and standing there confused,

looking first this way and then that,

I perceived at one end of the tunnel

a circle of light which grew

larger…larger…like the sun.

At the other end of the tunnel

another circle of light grew

smaller…smaller…until it fled

like a fading star.

Though I stood rooted to the spot

my spirit tore from me and raced

toward that diminishing circle

crying “Come back, come back”

for I could not bear to part

with the little star.

 

But then I woke to morning

and knew that I was in no tunnel,

that the diminishing star

and the growing sun

were one and the same

and the light was all about me

and I was part of it.

Memories: flowers

blooming with the sunlight glow

of romance and song.

Violins and valentines

keep safe the autumn of life.

Your veil falls as soft as blue shadow

About flawless countenance

And perpetual smile.

Your lovely heart is hidden.

Where the hot dry winds blow

No rain-tears ever flow.

Where can we run

If the track is gone

Or the field destroyed

Or the mountain crushed

With flattened stones

Melting away

Into water-flow

 

Where can we go

If the water goes

Nowhere

 

The stream

Falls like Niagara,

 

And falls

Not into a gorge below

But off the very edge of the world

 

Where can we run?

Where can we go?

Water-mirrored cool

Upon the desert sand

Beckons the constant dream:

The undiscovered land

 

Oasis or mirage?

We cannot help but think

And yet we cannot quench

Our thirst unless we drink

 

Of that fresh shimmering pool,

The light on desert strand

That lures us on to seek

The undiscovered land