Temple Cone
About this Christian Poet:
Temple Cone is an assistant professor of English at the US Naval Academy and lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and daughter. His fifth chapbook of poetry, Eurydice & Orpheus, is due out from Finishing Line Press this year.
In Passing
Every hour’s its own season, I wrote once,
Wishing, of course, that the best hours could last
Long as bayside summers or those Christmas
Holidays we remember from years past.
But the proof of happiness is that it’s brief.
We mix cakes with salt, listen to sad songs,
Squeeze a bit of lemon into our tea,
For no tongue can savor sweetness too long.
Yet some mornings, once May gives way to heat,
We notice hints of gold along the leaves,
Or sense, when winter’s hold seems complete,
Blossoms lodged in icicles under eaves.
So yes, parting’s hell, but it’s also heaven,
And makes farewell a prayer we believe in.
Copyright ©2008 by Temple Cone