Several sorrows ago

Several sorrows ago
Before grief came to echo and voice
And tears to a pulsing spring,
Several sorrows ago
Before the poem
And portrait
Dared word meaning
And purpose its bastard child,
Several sorrows ago
Before each witness
Knew silence
And its deafening cadence,
Several sorrows ago
Before blood coursed with pain
And flesh knew but itself,
Several sorrows ago
When only the old withered
And we were frozen young,
Several sorrows ago
Eyes that saw not
Ears that heard not
Several sorrows ago
Before children died
And life just moved with the sun
Several sorrows ago
When God still knew us
And we did not