The Leavetaking

The older leave,
The younger take over,
We must not grieve,
As they disappear behind the shrouded clover,
They pass on the mantle,
As they are freed,
Many doubt we can handle,
We just aren’t made from the same breed,
They seem so happy and carefree,
They pass through the door,
They hand us the key,
These past years seem like such a war,
The changing of the guard,
As the elders go galloping to greener gables,
As flowers blossom in the yard,
The school will be full of sullen; silent tables,
Old friends pass through,
New friends are looking for guidance,
Yet we are still tangled up in the murky blue,
And our distorted defiance,
Yet the ships set sail on the morrow,
And the farewells have already begun,
So our hearts are filled with sorrow,
As their masts disappear behind the sun....