Young and Old

The Fairy of the Eagle Nebula

Old as the eons that measure the galaxies,

As to the unheard music they swirl,

Young as the feeling that plays in the heart

And the smile on the lips of a sweet little girl,

Is the soul when it silently flies

Through the dark veil of shadow that covers our eyes.

Look on the body of even the dearest,

Lying there waxen and lifeless and cold,

Think on that spirit that briefly lived in it,

And wonder if now it is young or is old—

For like a fresh newborn thing, it is free

To journey to where it was destined to be.

There where no sorrow or pain can disturb it,

Where fear cannot be, for Time has no sway,

And where all of the past of the universe seems

Like the dreams of the night in the first light of day—

And that presence we sense in those first rays of sun,

With the newborn old souls is forever as One.

Daniel is a poet living in Houston, Texas. He has spent much of his life fighting for the ideals of classical culture and poetry. Read more of his poetry and writings on culture. His volume of poetry, compiling over 20 years of composition, is entitled "Voices on the Wind."