Between 'Now' And 'Then' Poem by Tony Jolley
Between 'Now' And 'Then'
Life.
It starts.
It ends.
It's the bit between
That depends
On the vagaries
Of the lottery
Bound up in the verb to be.
Some with an average life expectancy of many years
Barely having time to take a breath
Before being taught their first and fatal lesson
By the chalk white claws and incisors
Of the jungle blackboard's hunter-teachers.
Mayflies draw the shortest straw:
Just a single, solitary day,
And then only if they keep well out
Of the Rainbow and Brown Trout's way.
Dragonflies don't fare that much better
If the truth be told,
Four or five glory-filled days at most:
Enough to mate – never to be old.
Most birds manage to see the seasons turn
Once, twice or more
Provided they aren't taken
By heatwave or winter's ice-white jaw.
And Man's Best Friend is thought generally lucky
If he gets to see the other side of a decade
Even with the benefit of the comforts of home
And all the veterinary advances made.
Man.
Theoretically three score years and ten,
But really just the time between 'now' and 'then'.
Very plainly and plaintively presented Tony - - and oh so very true... the days of a human are not even as much as those of a tree if we think Sequioa etc- - - shame on us if we do not scatterlove around as -much as we can before'then ' a moving piece and 10 + + + from Fay.
My cat knows the difference between then and now. Then is what went before and it matters not, anyhow Done is done and can't be taken back So what if something happened while he's in the sack. And the future is of no importance Because it's something he may not have to face. Which brings him to the present, now And going out to prowl is all that's important anyhow. So it's two in the morning and the world is quiet But for a cat it's just the beginning of the night When the world awakes to another view And he cares not what you do. Out he goes without a care in the world And would change nothing, even if he could. But he'll be back at crack of dawn Demanding to be let in with a mighty yawn. After a bit of food and drink He's prepared to once again to sink Into the peaceful oblivion of sleep That's all that matters 'now'. s
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
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5/5/2024 3:27:26 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Excellent, I don't know what else to say. Do I need to say anything else?