The Song of Wonder

The sun’s gold fades from the walls
The chill breeze of evening lifts my cloak
The silver of bells calls night forth
And the stars echo

So comes the music of the spheres
To an ancient ear on this hither shore
Of a world where life abundant
May soon self-extinguish

They hear not that song of wonder
The rulers in somber robes
They speak strange words
They sing not

They know not what they are
They tread dark paths
And turn not toward the light

They do not treasure life
They have but selfish pride
In which they hide their fright

And soon the air will be
Filled with fire and hatred
Because they fear to love

Will you not come now?
Know you not that we are falling?
Must we leave our works all burnt
Within the urn of our womb?

So close we came
Yet learned nothing
Of the song of wonder
That reaches beyond time

for Brandon, though I couldn’t have known it at the time