A Nod in Passing…

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                                        For Miriam

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A nod in passing, a smile, a bit of talk,

and even a bit of sadness, because I’ve failed

to venture beyond the quip, the clever aside,

failed to look behind your eyes and ask:

Who are you?

                  Come, there is time left to ask.

 

In youth, I thought the poem’s true beauty

was praise of the sun-bright bounty of the world.

In later years, approaching time’s end,

the loveliness of praise takes deeper shades

touching the darker richness of farewell.

 

This I have learned:

                           Though days and times must end,

for us, there is no end, only change.

We sorrow through goodbyes and again goodbye

but are then transformed by some transcendent smile

into Hello! And again, Is that you there?

 

Oh yes, there still is time, and times to come

for you and me to sing our new Hello!

To ask, Who are you now?

                                  Ah, now! let’s talk!