Last Fall

By I.M. Ulysses

The hour has come
Upon me at last
My decision's been made
The die has been cast

Around me the world
Has started the day
By honouring God
With the seasons's display

A final goodbye
A last c'est la vie
From the land of my exile
To a heart now set free

For eight years and twenty
My time has rolled round
But after this season
No more will be found

A lady awaits
In the land of my birth
With a pledge on her hand
For a heart beyond worth

A vow made in love
On that April day
Has guided my path
And shown me the way

As waters return
To their first domain
So comes the moment
When I won't remain

The season of mourning
Has come to an end
A new life's beginning
To help this heart mend

Away to the sunrise
The Spirit demands
I'm sending you forth
By Eternal Command

Pack up your belongings
The Exodus starts
Like the ancient Israelites
You will soon depart

Across the great ocean
Of ripening fields
A west wind will take you
To the land of the Shield

As I ponder these words
The evening sun fades
Casting a shadow
On nature's cascade

From death unto life
I have these years passed
And now I am ready
For the die that's been cast

A last look around
Helps me recall
That after twenty-eight years
It is the last Fall.

For Mary. I'll be home soon, honey, I promise!