Monday 26 August 2013

THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS

“Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas” – Ecclesiastes 1:2
 

“Passing Place” by photographer Steven Kelly is this week’s visual stimulus for Magpie Tales' followers who take the challenge to verbally create a suitable response. Here is my offering:
 

This, Too, Shall Pass…
 

This fleeting moment
Of our time in the sun,
This, too, shall pass –
Remember; for the happy man shall be made sad,
And the sad man made happy.
 

This mortal coil,
All of our suffering,
This, too, shall pass –
Remember; for the pain shall be made joy,
And the joyful made melancholy.
 

This grand love,
Our all-consuming passion,
This, too, shall pass –
Remember; for the flame shall be made ash,
And the dust made into fire.
 

This glorious fame,
The greatness, this prestige,
This, too, shall pass –
Remember; for the renowned shall be made unknown,
And the obscure will be celebrated.
 

All is fleeting, all is vain;
Life, youth, love, beauty,
Riches, luxury, your bed of roses;
These, too, shall all pass –
Remember; for the last will be first,
And the first will be last…

10 comments:

  1. Definitely made me think... Thanks Nicholas

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  2. We are but dust - we come from stardust and to that we shall return.

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  3. One of my Dad's favourite sayings "...and the first shall be last" :) It so often works that way.

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  4. one of my mom's oft-repeated phrases (this too shall pass)... & i have used it often & often myself

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  5. Only in regards to what is of this world--right?

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  6. and this too shall pass in the journey of life..wise words..

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  7. Great poem, lots of meaning in it.

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