You gave me a rose
At the shedding of autumn:
A perfect rose
That declared friendship
Born of a summer’s warmth
And nurtured by life’s canticles;
That spoke of hope
And the promise of a kiss;
Prelude to a companionship
At the dawn of an adventure.
You sent me a rose
At the flowering of spring:
A flawless rose
That declared a love
Tested by winter’s chills
And purified by life’s laments;
That spoke of faith
And the promise of a vow;
Envoi to a fusion of souls
At the twilight of a journey.
Oh, aging eyes, through all thy fears
Much thou hast learned and seen.
Thy keener vision sees that fields
Hath equal shades of green.
Oh, aging eyes, through all the jeers
Much thou hast learned and seen.
Thy wiser vision sees a world
Where all are kith and kin.
Oh, aging eyes, through all thy tears
Much thou hast learned and seen.
Thy clouded vision sees no face
Yet sees what lies within.
Oh, aging eyes, through all the years
Much thou hast learned and seen.
Thy fading vision sees His care
That thou may rest serene.
I woke one balmy summer day,
A few winks after dawn,
Got off the bed to stretch my legs,
And stifled one big yawn.
My heart at once did skip a beat,
A chill went through my bones,
When I began to realize
That I was not alone.
For bouncing off the concrete walls
Was, much to my surprise,
A cheery tune both loud and clear,
Belying the singer’s size.
A cricket! Oh, where can it be?
I knew I could not rest
Until I had evicted this
Intruder from my nest.
I searched my humble one-room flat;
I searched it high and low:
Was it beneath my bathroom mat
Or on the top shelf? No.
Three quarters of an hour went by;