Tenderly
Tenderly, tenderly, the river flows
Through the worm, through the rose.
Fleetingly, fleetingly, the hour flies,
Borne on truth, borne on lies.
Through and through, by bird by sky,
One by one, the lilies die;
Bruising petal, breaking crown
Upon the still and stony ground.
High by low, and star by sea;
Smile by song and leaf by tree.
Widows weep and lovers dance
Night by day and choice by chance.
Faith by fear and heart by rise;
Breath by laughter, blood by cries:
Sorrow to seed, joy to bloom
Above the sun, behind the moon.
As I wake and as I dream,
Tenderly flows the stream.
As I glimpse the shining prize
Fleetingly, the moment dies.
- Susan Davis Glazier
June, 2001