Implications of Stone

By eons past, life was a mystery

By today it's science and history

By year we watch the children grow

By week we ply the trades we know

Twelve steps may not a chasm span,

Twelve months may bare a blue star

Twelve disciples may elevate a man

Twelve houses may hold heaven afar

We review our faith in lucid dreams

We repent our shameful behavior

We rebuke our lust for extremes

We recast our vows to the Savior

No one knows truth without trial

No one grows wiser without error

No one prays without sin to revile 

No one knows peril without terror

Lengthy reach is not containment

Lengthy speech is not eloquence 

Lengthy life is not accomplishment

Lengthy silence is not reticence

Lest we give back, we forgo joy

Lest we do good, we find sorrow

Lest we show love, we only annoy

Lest we thrive, we fade tomorrow

We get one chance for best intents

We get eternity to rue deeds cursed

We get a stone marker for pretense

We get bits of dust to be dispursed

Author's Note

We all feel the creeping onset of final days whenever our birthdays approach, especially in the last half of life.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

This one reminded me in some ways of the Book of Proverbs, and possibly Ecclesiastes. The wording is not the same, but it adheres to the spirit of those books of wisdom. The use of repetition in each stanza is effective in highlighting the principles enunciated. I liked especially "No one knows truth without trial/ No one grows wiser without error". These are the kinds of things we need to keep in mind when we encounter life's inevitable reverses. Also, the author's note is very relevant to some of us. I can attest to it.

[bigfootprint]

Thank you, John. Pretty lofty company, and I don't mind the comparison. I feel the downy feather of inspiration sometimes, but I dare not presume.

[NotUsinganymore]

Very wise words. I liked it very much! It was great. It had a good flow too!

[bigfootprint]

Thank you, JungLee. At some point with age, the meaning of life looms in better focus than the reality -- which sometimes disappoints.

[Coffee Lady]

Beautiful. I especially love the ending.

[bigfootprint]

Thanks, Coffee Lady (Barb, I think.) Just as all good sagas end, so do the lives of poets. It seems only right that we should expend the final lines of a poem, just like that last earthly breath on something worthy and profound -- hopefully a life well loved.

[Coffee Lady]

Fantastic :) (And my name is not Barb, although I love that name!)

[bigfootprint]

Abject apologies, So I will call you Coffee Lady -- also a cute moniker. I am Doug.

[Coffee Lady]

Thanks Doug! :)

[Einstein Noodle]

"We get a stone marker for pretense" especially like that one Bigfoot! lots of sound and hard won wisdom in this one sir ... we do try eh!? and then try not to try .... aeiyiyiyiyiyi! ;}
E.

[bigfootprint]

Thank you Einstein, we can find glee in looking back to see we got some of it right.