In The End Poem by Richard Stamper

In the end, the truth shall come,
A whisper within the trees,
A faintly heard and distant hum,
That brings me to my knees.
Waiting for the sound to fly,
Through the evening air,
A message appears before my eye,
And briefly lingers there.

Now in that time I see the words,
A phrase that tears my soul,
Could that be a sound I heard,
Rising from the shoal?
No! I scream, inside my head,
That this cannot be true.
I think of times, lying in bed,
Gazing over at you.

That is, until this very day,
When I traveled to the end.
An angel above showed me the way
And granted me this godsend:
'The answer you seek is hidden well,
For none alive to see.
If you wish to hear the knell,
You'll have to come with me.'

So I chose to pursue my heart,
And followed in the light.
I couldn't figure out this part,
I had to know what's right.
'I need the meaning of my life.
Why walk this hallowed ground?
Is it to be there for my wife,
Or help my children abound? '

'I fear, my friend, it's none of these,
But something that chills the bone.
Come closer now, if you please,
And remember you're now alone.
Solitude is the curse you bear,
Now that you've come up high.
As you thought, but weren't aware,
Your purpose is to die.'

(4 September 1999)