Forget The Dream You Once Did Have
'The Death of Sardanapalus' - Delacroix
Forget it; forget the dream you once did have,
A dream which covered pain with pure sweet lies.
Forget the truth and all the sorrow and the pain
That came as weeping phantoms as the nighttime dies.
Forget the bitter and the sweet of memory
And the memory of a half forgotten past
And let the taste of what may come tomorrow
Be the wine that when all cups be dry, the one to last.
Forget the time when what was so was true
And now be sad and happy with an unknown truth.
Forget that then the all important thing was God,
And put away such thoughts and make a god in youth.
Look never more to age and wisdom and to old
Established forms as having good,
But turn to searching after gaiety and want,
Lest in a quiet time the mind unravels that not understood.
Put all that underlying reason out of craving mind
And turn deaf ears on voices that would teach.
Turn outward to a non responding world
Which puts pure thought away from reach.
Forget that man as man must have a goal;
And needs must inward turn to find his soul,
A soul with wisdom, knowledge and humility,
Which needs must face the ravages of years as on they roll.
Inexorably roll.