Of This

Love enjoys and endures life's utter contrasts;

 utter joy and wonder

utter chaos and care...

The end will come of This;

This gift and groan of prayer

Love’s laughter and the traitor’s kiss

Will fade into thin air

This leap of live and learn

This thud of high to low

This day-by-daily no-return

Of grace whereby we go

This cross of loss and gain

This toss twixt dust-to-dust

This awesome albatross of pain

And pleasure, fear and trust

This sacred metronome

Of ever-dwindling day

This happy-sad of home-sweet-home

This brunt of gold-blue-gray

This innocence soon lost

Where time does not stand still

As hope begins to count the cost

Of growing older till...

The end will come of This;

This on and upward climb

This test of love and faithfulness

Till God replaces Time

© Janet Martin

Be very careful, then, how you live—

not as unwise but as wise,

Eph.5:15