And the World Passes

And the world passes,

In its passions and pleasures;

In its starvings and cold;

In itself.

In this stage play,

Parading to the end of dreams,

While the waking eye casts it's gaze upon

The whole show,

Keeping it's attention

Fixed, immaterial,

Holding sleeping souls

Within It's endless, abundant embrace;

To know the pain

And keep the promise,

Never before and never after;

Ever before and ever after.

Oh, Lord

Sweep away this mad menagerie

When it has run its course.

Let us slip softly, find ourselves

No longer one alone, or we,

But you,

But our true being,

In all its splendor, bliss, and peace.

Answers without questions

Refuge without fleeing.

Let us talk

Of all the stories of our sojourn

And love one another

As never before,

And never after;

Ever before,

And ever after.