Retrospect and Prospect

Moments pass through us; years applaud

Where gods like scattered ashes vie

To vex this shell of flesh and blood

Determined to live and to die

Change is a constant changeless truth

Nothing immune to farewell’s schemes

Intent on draining days and youth

While refurbishing Time with dreams

How often we look back, agape

At the deftness of day-to-day

And run our thought across the shape

Of another year brushed away

…and then we look ahead, but none

Can see beyond the Now and Here

Where soon the breadth of It is gone

Though Now can never disappear

Here faith and fear, both unrestrained

Vexes and vouches walk and talk

Of footwork not as straight and trained

As the steady march of the clock

…where moments move through us, breath-shod

Future eclipsed with each exhale

In this transport from sod to God

To that which none can mete or scale

© Janet Martin