ulysses is granted

after a long time
after life has moved on
and the blasted shadows have faded from the path
and the children grew up and could see for themselves
and their children live in the fertile valleys surrounded by snowy peaks
and the kings have departed to seek empires elsewhere
along silk routes and longitudes unmapped and uncharted
and new stars have appeared in the sky
and new skies have dawned in mornings i wont see
and the ocean still churns restlessly at the foot of its bed
and my head is cleared
all bad memories deleted
and i am exonerated of my sins
and my good deeds rewarded
and my reward is to know everything that was unknown
everything i could stand to know that is
and i stand holding my hand that god has dealt out
and the four angels of the four cardinal directions
golden haired neither male nor female come down to this plane
and i count the grains of sand
and i see the sparrowfall
and i hear the language of the trees
and i swim with the nereids
and i behold vishnu in his universal form
and i walk with jesus on my kentucky blue lawn
and i am soothed by venus who ceases to mourn
and ride with the valkyries out of this storm
my men are gone and never to return
my snow has melted
and my fire has burned
every lesson finally learned
some lovely day
some blessed eve
some wonderful spring
the women sing
a song
i cannot write but long to hear
maybe then
you will appear