Quiet Misty Night

The edge of night rolls slowly in

Like gauzy curtains drawn

Obscuring all beyond the light

And will until the dawn

Ladened air creeps by the light,

Surrounds this place of woe

A lovely sanctum built of stone

Lit by the lamps dim glow

There's room enough within these walls

To offer one's respect

And cloudy tendrils seeping in

That sensitives detect

The guest of honor has no say

And doesn't care at all

But now and then, below the din,

Is moved by loved one's call

They celebrate a life so lived

And mourn a tearing loss

Some contemplate how it will be

When they must go across

The youngers can't imagine it

Some elders feel the pull

There's bucket lists left to be made

And checked off to the full

Yet on this night beneath this light

Observe that empty shell

An architectural beauty

That hides some truths so well

The end of life is end for some,

The rest, just switching trains

Attending to a list of goals

To see how much remains

The pain of life and pain of loss

Will come to all that live

Expect the best from all you love,

And save the best to give

Richard Higley © May 2012