“Work. Play. Death. Rest.” by Nathan Parkinson, May 2024
What is life? A gift. A joy. A tumult of trauma and emotions, desires and disappointments. A longing. An empty lock awaiting the key to set it free. Work. Play. Rest. Death. Another soul for company. The young seek out a mate. The aged filled with bitter experience have lost touch with soul feeling. What is life? A vapour that cannot last the morning. This moment. Work. Play. Rest. Death. A sunny day. The moon. The rain. Laughter. Pain. What is life? A place to stay a while before it’s time to go. What is life? A fleeting touch. A dear embrace. A cold embrace. A buried face. Ticking time. Toil and grace. Distant strangers passing by. Standing near, ones so dear. Reach into the stream of souls and pull the lost ones home. Strangers, friends in disguise. What is life? Work and play. Rest and death. Kindness shown at every turn. Empty hearts. Filled with love. Filled with pain. Longing to be filled by God. Warmed by some great glory. What is life? Wondering. Wandering. Seeking peace. Find unrest. Asking questions. Wanting more. Needing less. What is life? No answer found in life itself. Come and go. Toss and turn. An empire rises, soon to roll over into its grave. Tyrants. Saints. Fools. Sages. All is vain and fleeting. But what is life? Why is this question never satisfied? Work and play. Night and day. Rest and death. Songs of robins in the nest. Dew wet grass. Flowers. Fields. Seeds to bring tomorrow. Reflections. Friends long gone. New ones waiting to be found. One life falls. One will rise. To keep the rhythm set by time. Work. Play. Death. Rest. Loosed from life, at last I’m free to meet my Lord. Eternity. From life to life I’ve passed into the purpose planned for me. Shining sons and daughters stand. Glory wrapped. Gleaming band. We who love the Saviour welcomed near in His embrace. Forever joy. Forever bliss. Free from sin and death and pain and free at last from longing. Hope has come. Here to stay. Here at last eternal day. The hope of nations is our God. Only God. Gracious God. Made a way to save our souls and still remain all holy. What is life? This is life. The second life. The lasting life. Where death has now been laid to rest, and all our work is play. What is life? It’s all these things. The journey to eternity.