Silver-tongued jubilee

 

The ancient meaning of Jubilee

Is – a trumpet blast of liberty –

In olden days jubilee forgave old wrongs with blessings;

Remitted debts, freely amended wrongs by right.

Plenty’s  horn sounded for better times; joyously

Polishing old days anew in memory’s perfect recall.

Today Time strikes its silver bell to ring out this anniversary:

And, like trumpet blast of liberty, let its repeal recall

Those jubilees of old.

Anniversary is a banquet,

A glad repast toasting old tales with present laughter;

Burnishing anew our best days shared with better friends.

Those we love we honour – our memories recalling back

Those we’ve sadly left in past’s remains to a new life.

Words gild golden speeches but the heart leaves unspoken

Sweeter tokens –

Of days freely spent and  more than quickly lost,

Leaving us so little time in hand – borrowed times –

Days spent as easily as a wastrel’s promise.

To chase days’ end – our golden days forgot –

Time may yet, like noble rot, distill days sweeter still,

Sunset days, still as succulent, still as well beloved

As any lasting savour of sweet liberty.

So, enjoy this day; freely,

Liberate the past’s short bounds; bind all to the future’s leap;

For what is left undone only the future might put to right.

If Time divides us from the persons we once were

It may yet join us to the better ones we may become.

Award gold medals to past regrets for their race is run.

Eastward rising like today new days set new races running;

Every rising day is some other’s jubilee as becoming as today’s.

As with old jubilee let this anniversary make friends of enemies;

May it companion the lonely; may it bless the company.  

By this jubilee, may every day be a trumpet blast of liberty

By God’s good grace;

And may we embrace its daily blessings with all our hearts;

With all our love; in all our days. Amen.