So often we hear "Live the moment!"
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,"
"You may delay, but time will not,"
And "Carpe diem!" or "Seize the day!"

Ah, such reminders cajole us,
Tease us, nudge us, make us reflect.
Alas, the wise admonitions
Always seem wiser in retrospect.

Flowers wilt; snows melt;
Mountains crumble by and by;
The universe is constantly changing:
Stars are born, while others die.

Acknowledging that everything passes
And changes, deep inside we hold fast
To stubborn longings of permanence--
To vain hopes that all will last.

-by Bob B (11-2-17)