Though we have inhaled the perfume of the sweetest flower,
That flower has now withered and softly died.
And what we all worked to create and enjoy
Has collapsed, and so we've all cried.

The gathering places look like a dead thing
Picked over and bleached in the sun
The missing jubilant voices aren't ringing
And the happiness has all been undone.

So cry because the best is over
And cry because the worst is yet ahead
But smile because you've tasted the best on offer
And smile because while hard roads lie ahead

You've been refreshed by friends and celebration
You're prepared for whatever lies ahead
You'll meet whatever challenges may be
And armed with a laugh, will strike dead.

And if in your dreams there should be a licking fire
And if in your dreams there should be a howling wind
Meet them, with a broad grin and bold laugh
For there's no next beginning without end.