Ende Dezember [English translation]

On a bench in a park

Sits a man all alone

He stares into space

His face hardened to stone

The freshness of youth

Around cold sunken eyes

He looks now at me

And his love he describes …. he cries

“We would gaze at these skies …. changing hue”

(Then) from the blue came the blow

That would bring him so low

And shatter life’s cruel disguise

For me, it’s the end of December

Our days are all counted and past

And too many meant nothing and went so fast

So savour each snowdrop of winter

And May’s darling buds’ bright array

For life hurtles on and our roles must be played

Even if the sweetness fades

So many things planned

So much overdue

So many things bought

Yet so much hardly used

The words left unsaid

The deeds never done

The man turned to me

And he said: “Walk, don’t run ….you’ve got time

Your days in the sun…. will arrive

When life’s lived - not endured

Your joy is assured

For this, every heart can strive"

For me, it's the end of December...