Vita Brevis

Vita Brevis1

”How do we live our brief lives

our number of days under heaven”

Time is a thief 

Darkened body in pink, yet

Stealing life from death

May their memory be a blessing?

Now at an age you remember your parents being 

And your children at an age where ‘you’ began to recollect your own memories 

Of home and the sweetest souls and memories 

“Sometimes you don’t know where home is until you leave it”

God has used moments

    of desperation

                  in your life 

to clear a path for some much-needed grace

Our failures only remind us of our desperate need for more grace and heavenly help

Whispering truth 

    about purpose 

        and protection without distraction. 2

“Life everything about it is fleeting”3

“… by pouring ourselves fully and intentionally into the present, it gentle[s]the passing of time’s precipitous flight.”4

The present joys,

Loss and the longing

It’s gonna take me a long time to get used to this

“You’re stuck with us forever now”5

We teeter and sway, 

unsteadying paths before us

Uncertain and brief whether poor or wealthy

Holding fast to the “happy” stones of remembrance 

Firm grip on God, reality, hope, family

and rejuvenating grace

 

Vita Brevis Glimpse poetry by Joe Holuta

About this poem: Vita Brevis is a poem about the brevity of life and a reminder to make the most of one's limited time. Living life to the fullest in the present is one means to see people and to serve using the gifts we have available. This legacy will last long after we’re gone both in the hearts and souls of people we see and serve. - Joe Holuta

1. Vita Brevis- 

It's part of the larger phrase

 "Ars longa, vita brevis," which means "art is long, life is short". This phrase is often interpreted to mean that while a person's life may be brief, the impact of their art or work can be long-lasting-works of art may outlive their creators 

It can also be seen as a reminder to make the most of one's limited time-

2.Undistracted,  Capture Your Purpose, Rediscover Your Joy, by Bob Golf.

 

3.Ecclesiastes 2:17 voice

4.Seneca

5.Jayne Holuta on hearing news of the baptism of a few grandchildren