Heaven and earth,
Keep me well,
For I have not long to spare.
‘Tis fleeting my appearance here,
As I cross the wooded bridge.
Splinters catch my feet;
Caught in ivy binds,
And for a moment
I am smiling broad,
As I savour earth’s embrace.
But heaven calls
From beyond the seas,
Within the clouds,
And olivine painted trees,
With resonant stress
Upon my name,
Weighing heavy as the sun;
And I urge my legs
To wander on,
Giving thanks to all I pass.