Novus Ordo Seclorum Poem by Hillary Lee

Lay purple lilacs on my chest
Next to my arms, around my head
Lay them thick as a robin's nest
To cover the wound where I bled
And when the coffin smells like spring
And friends begin to sadly sing
Breathe it in, and let me rest.

Toss in hyacinth if there is room,
Be liberal, like an April rain,
Bury me with tulips in my tomb,
Let their fragrance ease the pain
Of suffering that soiled the years
With constant stress and trepid tears
Be strong! The pageant will resume.

Trillium leaves the forest fast
Flowers fade like the setting sun
The present soon will be the past
Can I be the only one
Who asks why? What’s the use
Of stoically enduring life’s abuse
When rest and peace are here at last?

My work is done, my grades are in
I leave the living to the young
To quit this madness is no sin
I resign myself to what may come
Confident of just one certainty
The hell I’m promised will not be
Let the new age now begin.