Morituri Salutamus
AVĒ IMPERĀTOR, MORITŪRĪ TĒ SALŪTANT
The last words of the gladiator. A rather long but encouraging poem about old age.
It's a wonderful poem and very inspiring. It tells us that so long as the heart keeps beating, curiosity and perseverance will continue to drive us forward and we can and will and should enjoy our life. By implication, if it helps we should encourage and inspire, guide and lead those for whom we have responsibilities. So this poem is worth a read.
Within the poem, there is a story of the fickle finger of fate pointing to the door to an underground room. The room is filled with peoples and things from our past, roads travelled, decisions taken, and we have the opportunity to reflect and draw lessons.
"Long at the scene, bewildered and amazed
The trembling clerk in speechless wonder gazed;
Then from the table, by his greed made bold,
He seized a goblet and a knife of gold,
And suddenly from their seats the guests upsprang,
The vaulted ceiling with loud clamours rang,
The archer sped his arrow, at their call,
Shattering the lambent jewel on the wall,
And all was dark around and overhead;--
Stark on the floor the luckless clerk lay dead!"
All the same, the last four lines really appealed.
Here's a link and here are the last lines that can be my tribute.
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Keep it clean, keep it lean