A FINAL TOAST
by John T. Baker
To seas I shall not sail,
To journeys not begun;
To siren cries of distant skies
And lands beyond the sun.

To lips I dared not kiss,
To bells I've never rung;
To books not read and words unsaid
And songs I wish I'd sung.

To tales I thought I'd tell,
To deeds I might have done;
To vows not made and debts unpaid
And wars I could have won.

To foes I feared to fight,
To comrades left behind;
To untrod trails and Holy Grails
I always meant to find.

To tears I failed to shed,
To dreams that did not last;
To lessons learned and bridges burned
And days that sped too fast.