It's in the Cards
Nothing in Life is Guaranteed
The morning sun ascends the blue,
With promises that seem so true,
It paints the sky in gold and rose,
And warms the earth where clover grows.
Yet storms can gather, swift and dark,
To dim the bright celestial spark;
For though the dawn may softly gleam,
A day is but a fleeting dream.
No promise holds, no contract binds
The shifting currents of the winds.
We build our castles tall and grand,
Engraving names upon the sand,
And stack our treasures high and deep,
Convinced they’re ours to forever keep.
We chart our lives with careful grace,
And plan each step, each time, each place.
Yet towers fall and fortunes fade,
Despite the clever plans we’ve made.
The strongest vault, the thickest wall,
Can never stop the curtain's fall.
The breath we draw, the pulse we feel,
Are borrowed gifts, not made of steel.
The friends we cherish, held so dear,
May walk beside us for a year,
Then step away down distant tracks,
Leaving shadows in their facts.
And love itself, though fierce and deep,
Is not a vow the years will keep
Without the tears, the shifts, the pain,
Of sunshine mixed with sudden rain.
Youth slips away like water spilled,
Before our dreams are half-fulfilled.
The summer turns to autumn chill,
The busy heart at last grows still.
There is no pledge written in the sky,
No certainty as years go by,
Except the constant, rhythmic flow
Of holding on and letting go.
Yet in this truth, so stark and clear,
There lies a power to conquer fear.
For if no future is assured,
No joy assured, no pain endured,
Then every moment shines so bright,
A spark of wonders in the night.
The present hour becomes a prize,
Reflected in open, conscious eyes.
So embrace the now with all your heart,
Before the shadows claim their part.
Love deeply, live with open hands,
And walk across the shifting sands.
For though the future stays concealed,
And nothing in this life is sealed,
The beauty of the path we tread
Is found in stepping straight ahead—
Uncertain of what lies in store,
Yet loving life for always more.
©A. Derek Catalano/Gemini
