Life begins;

Like a spring, surging out in the mountains,

Gurgling and squirming through its fragile infancy,

And seeking hither and yon to test its way.

Gathering pace, it forges an uncertain path,

Learning, growing, strengthening.

Steadily it develops,

Becoming more confident in its pursuit of progress,

Amassing the wherewithal to thrive,

And the river of life is born.

Growing then towards maturity,

With an almost daily increase in power,

It interacts more and more with its surroundings,

Learning, growing, strengthening,

Gradually it finds its true direction,

Entering the prime of life

With the vigour of hope and expectation,

And the river of life is in full flow.

Now life is fulfilled,

And begins to widen and slow down;

The flow is so rich and full that the entrained elements

Become disparate and more difficult to access,

Meandering somnolently, as if in search of Elysium,

But becoming again unsure of the way.

Each village and town could become the last one at the coast,

Signalling the end of life’s journey.

Then the river of life becomes

The river of death,

Dissipating in the vast, unknown void

Of the timeless ocean.