LIFE STRIPPED AWAY

 

The door of life opens without a name,

And the endless debts we leave unpaid –

The words held back, the unignited flame,

And gentle hands we lifted or delayed!

As time casts light upon our stone,

We stand stripped bare, yet still unknown . . .

An unvarnished image lost in our mind,

But who, if any, has the right to fret?

Life strips away status, wealth and time

Leaving only intentions, love, and regret!

Just wait, the hourglass will run dry –

The page will turn, the thread unraveled;

Our quit days just keep rolling on by,

And no one saw the roads we traveled!

The scales are tipped by no earthly claim,

No money or title can clear the ledger;

The light demands no grand acclaim,

But measures love with a quieter measure

Each hidden motive, each quiet grace,

Stands clear at last in that final place.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 20, 2026