An Anthem of Youth

.....but we were so young then
and blood was wildly rushing
through our every vein-
our heart was in unstoppable flame
there was no asking why
with no rules to comply-
we wrote our poems
in rapturous abandon
in the watching sky-

braver than Ulysses
stronger than Prometheus:
' Our name is Youth
to us the entire world belongs
we will never die!'

It was always bright
for us-- the watching sky
so tempting, so inviting
so friendly, so supporting
if we had wings then
towards it we'd readily fly

and all that while
time was watching
not as a sentinel benign
but like a malicious spy
to handcuff us
it seemed to try

but it badly failed
our will triumphed
and set it aside-

mistakes we did make
but there's no reason
for the smallest regret :
we'd sailed the roughest seas
the nighest peaks
who had climbed
with courage and faith
on our side-


even now
in our winter-years
in retrospect
the same anthem
we still fervently sing:
' We were young then
but it remains
our greatest pride!'.