Himmel und Hölle - sonnet

“O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis […]”

 

when playing hopscotch on god’s tesserae,

don’t waste the sand on “odd or even” choices -

the thread you’re given by the Moirae

won’t over-stretch. allow the inner voices

of faith and instinct to direct you through,

accept the “lows” the same way as the “highs” -

if to yourself and to the game you’re true,

then you are worthy of the utmost prize:

a life lived to the fullest. when you’re done,

the only thing that matters is your learning

that right and wrong are faces of the one

same coin in which is paid your rightful earning.

from hell to heaven distance can be small -

and the converse is valid for us all.

Reviews

[.]

.i agree. very practical.

[Emma Joy]

This is positively SUPERB: your more than intelligence and skills are 100% in this poem, Lilly. Whilst your poetising is great, the theme is a delicate and subtle moral, one I'd love to keep by me, to have hug me now and again. And, the double interpretation of language is fascinating, we do move in a strange way through life or, does life act that way, goodness knows!

' .. the only thing that matters is your learning ~ that right and wrong are faces of the one ~ same coin in which is paid your rightful earning. '

[ghostofdawn]

'don’t waste the sand on “odd or even” choices'

a lovely sonnet, i love that sensitive wisdom that can always be found in your poems, that understanding of life. fantastic.

[Kat Collins]

I am always moved by your work, Lilly. I love the word play. It is a fine line between heaven and hell...but living life to the fullest should be the desire. You should always live your life as though you have only one day left to live. A story I just read had a line that struck me...a woman was dying of cancer and her best friend was beside herself. She called the doctor to find some positive words to soothe the pain of losing her best friend and the doctor told her, "Watch your friend closely...she's teaching you how to live."