Janus

Janus, god of all that's new
Of hope, of joy, an early bloom
A new beginning, a beckoning dawn
While Jana, moon, its ending mourns

Janus, Jana look both ways
Light and shadow borne of 'dies' (days)
President of birth and death
A newborn's breath, and, fading health

Janus opens, closes fast
Each season, cycle, present, past
He sees us steal through winter's frost
to knock upon his door and ask

if we might enter his domain
and bask in health and wealth again

and if he grants us favours rich
his janitor will drop his stick,
He'll draw the bolt and let us in
with 'SALVE! Noble citizen!'

Once inside, the god decides
if we have earned the right to dine
at his rich home, within his walls
where he looks on inside his door

The two-faced god, of dual core
can give or take, in peace and war,
As you open, so he yields
to prospects bright and luscious fields

of dreams and vistas, bold and new
glimpsed by all, won by few,
Yet as he opens wide our hearts
so he closes minds grown dark,

Those whose lives are vainly spent
in idle boasts and goals unmet
will soon be faced with Janus' scorn
a trick played out by his false dawn

Janus knows both day and night,
a double-sided coin so bright,
the sun upon a darkened door,
the moon bestrides our twilight hour,

For while we travel in our quest
to open up our treasure chest,
we should remember we are guests
at Janus' house, at his behest.

copyright Sally Gethin, composed January 2006