Written fragments
Broken songs
Stepping stones
To hope beyond
Music absent
Long at bay
Vagrant notes
—last wish to play
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2016)
Twins Of Siam
You stir it one way and they the other,
but the mixture stays just as hot
You attack their motives and they attack yours,
while the contents boil and rot
“It needs to be this way”… the other side revolts,
“Your mind’s faulty with avarice and greed”
The pot has simmered; the broth is thick,
and its bottom not easy to see
A mutual exclusion, first left then right
a feast—all soul’s consumed
With spoon or fork, its offering slick
when the bowls come out at noon
In single file, day turns to night
pointed talk with nothing said
Both cupboard’s bare, two rat’s within
guarding their last crust of bread
When the final story is written and told
of what in concert you destroyed
A drum will beat, zero-sum complete
leaving you soulless—but still conjoined
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June,2016)
My Mojo Light
(Blues Poem #12)
My days and nights
death in between
trouble in front—behind
The devil hijacking my
fondest dream
trouble in front—behind
She said she loved me
then said it twice
trouble in front—behind
The day I got fired
she turned to ice
trouble in front—behind
I pass out stoned
and wake up hard
trouble in front—behind
With time my warden
and sentence scarred
trouble in front—behind
My children’s names
now others call
trouble in front—behind
The doctor warns…
“Not one more fall”
trouble in front—behind
Excuses inked
across my chest
trouble in front—behind
The good got better
but the worst got best
trouble in front—behind
My eyes stay swollen
my mojo light
trouble in front—behind
The river rolling
the falls in sight
trouble in front—behind
(Villanova Pennsylvania: August, 2018)
Morning In Your Eyes
Day surrounds your memory,
as evening frames your smile
But what I most remember
—is morning in your eyes
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2016)