THE SEARCH
I went to find the pot of gold
That’s waiting where the rainbow ends.
I searched and searched and searched and searched
And searched and searched, and then –
There it was, deep in the grass,
Under an old and twisty bough.
Its’ mine, it’s mine, it’s mine at last…
What do I search for now?
Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends; New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1974, p. 166
It’s the last poem in the collection, followed by a couple of blank pages and an index. I could just pass it off as a clever rhyme, but I’ve spent too much time reading works of wisdom and mystical theology to do that. When I reach the last couple of pages in the book that is my life, I hope that I’ve done more than search for some coins in a pot. With just a couple of blank pages to go before I reach the obituary/index, I pray that the decades of pages I was given hold words of love and beautiful illustrations – not just the tracks of someone running as fast as possible to reach the end.
Reminds me of the dialog between Frank McCloud and Johnny Rocco in Key Largo–when asked what he wants, Johnny says “..more, that’s it ! I want more! What do you want?” Frank (Humphrey): “A world in which there is no place for Johnny Rocco”. (loosely translated).
More, but no idea what. Sounds like a decent definition of sin (REALLY missing the point!). Thanks, Bill!