The Passing Year

Can one be but in shock and awe
As tides shift swiftly against or for?
From contentment’s heart, into despair,
Or rise from shadow, to good fortune’s glare.

In so short a time, life is up or down,
New births or romances, fill hearts with joy.
Then fate can topple your brief, fragile crown,
Adjust its gaze, with intent to destroy.

Forget the hate that crushed your soul -
Bitterness breeds nothing but ill laments,
That unwelcome events may well cajole,
But only ever at your own expense.

Do push on, persist through the woeful times,
Whatever should be the source of your pain.
The journey will yield much sunnier climes,
With the passing of night, the clouds, and rain.

And when good favour once more gives you grace,
To banish the trouble that caused your blight,
These different worlds, all in the same space,
In transience, come and go from your sight.

I can’t fail to wonder, at all these things,
To be amazed, by what the passing year brings.


by Sam Bartle 
(© Copyright  Sam Bartle 2022)