Fare Thee Well | A Poem

By Iris Tanis

Fare thee well, my friend, but not forever,

It’s okay to weep, I know we have together.

I know you’ll miss me, and I’ll miss you too,

But God’s got a plan for me and for you.

The way life goes is a mystery to me;

I meet new people, who become dear to me.

Then I must go, I must say farewell,

Go to new places, and tears I must quell.

I say to you, ‘fare thee well’, and I love you,

For life is too short to forget and not be true.

And so memories I’ll carry, so near to my heart,

The sweet and delightful, the deep and the dark.

Why must I go? God knows the reason,

Adventures await, and they loom on the horizon.

But more than all else, God it is who I must obey;

If He tells me to go, then I must sail away.

So fare thee well, God bless you I pray,

Do not fret; He’ll send adventures your way!

They may not be grand as to sail to other seas,

It might be the neighbor, and God’s love he needs.

To tell a fallen comrade of Jesus’ light,

Is an adventure so important you cannot slight!

Unknown, what tomorrow brings in this whirlwind of life,

So tell them now, perhaps you’ll save them from strife!

It is not always easy, others don’t always believe,

But it’s better to tell, than them to pass and you to grieve.

You have a mission always, wherever you are,

For there are lost everywhere; near, and far.

They long for love, and you know the answer,

So tell them, as shall I, of God’s green pasture.

I see new places I’ll send letters to tell you about,

I see a new frontier, God’s message to shout!

Others must know of this great Master of mine,

And the salvation He offers, so free and divine.

Fare thee well; if life is spent before I see you again,

Then, dear friend, we’ll meet once more in glorious heav’n.