The Reckoning (by Robert W. Service)

My 35-year carreer upon this planet is most all fulfilled… even right up to now. Yeah! I believe we’ve only got the “now” and the “here”, these ubiquous illusions that gather altogether to perform that uncomprehensible thing called Reality.

From all the Songs of a Sourdough (earlier title of these Robert Service’s poems), The Reckoning recalls the feeling of the unstoppable pay-off machine of Life. In order to break us free from this imprisonned point of view, I invoke our will of capturing the “golden sand” of true Love straight deep to our hearts.

Time has got a little bill — get wise while yet you may,
For the debit side’s increasing in a most alarming way;
The things you had no right to do, the things you should have done,
They’re all put down; it’s up to you to pay for every one.
So eat, drink and be merry, have a good time if you will,
But God help you when the time comes, and you
Foot the bill.

Stripped from:

• SERVICE, Robert W. The Reckoning, in “The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses”. Putnam Adult, 1988.

Thanks to:

• The Daily Post: Half-Light.