I found in an
abandoned temple
A bell, wrapped in
cobwebs and silence
That once honored an
ancient deity
Who even now lay
asleep within
Curious, my heathen
hand
Reached out to the
sacred metal
And along with the
silvery peals
A whisper filled the
air
Softly, it spoke of
the memories
Of the exploits of
that divinity
The prayers
answered, The miracles wrought
The feats achieved
by the devoted flock
Until one day when
the winds of chance
Filled the sails of
their ambitions
And drove them, each
to divers ports
Away from their
community
"Some carried
the light of their faith"
Said the voice,
"and that is why"
"Despite their
distance and my age
Uninvoked, I am
still alive"
"And who are
you?", I asked the presence
"What is the
faith that sustains you?
How is it that you
fell asleep?
And how come you are
now awake?"
"I am Mithra,
Lord of the Covenant
Friendship is the
faith that sustains me
Space and time may
send me to slumber
But remembrance will
awaken me"
"Whether you be
part of a fleet
Or single ships that
pass in the night
I am the basis of your joy
I am the pillar of your comfort"
"My bell is
none but your lines and cables
Borne on pylons and
buried under the sea
This copper and
glass, it lies in wait
For those who would
communicate"
"Dwell not on
the encounters of the past
Or of the years lost
in separation
But ring my bell,
here and now
So new memories may
be made"
And thus enlightened
I dedicate
This year past and
the year forthcoming
To the old friends
in distant ports
To the new ones that
are not yet so
Fortune I thank for
bringing us together
More than once in
our lifetime
But to you I owe a
greater debt
For you have never
let me go.
