It’s not what you put on
but what you take off
Each trapping a hangman
—and choking its cost
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2019)
In The End
Life…
forever promising more
Death
—its own reward
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2016)
Hope Turns
I’m most tired of wishing
—when hope turns to pain
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2016)
Mine To Keep
Do I reach for understanding,
or is knowing quite enough
Or deem then that important
if the difference smooth or rough
Do I understand a mountain
or the bear that lives within
Or just know that it belongs there
and the mystery that it brings
Do I understand the ocean
or the waves that break so high
Or just hear its thunder crashing
and not need to wonder why
Do I understand what time is
its symbols—what they mean
Or understand a life laid down
in battles unforeseen
Do I understand a memory
or just smile when’er it calls
Or understand tomorrow
when today my life befalls
Do I understand the anger
or just control it when it barks
Or understand the danger
sometimes lurking in the dark
Do I understand the words I write
when I’m shaken from my sleep
Or understand the excuses loaned
—all reasons mine to keep
(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2016)
Truth Revealed
Thought is meant to provide escape
from what causes it to be
The soul released in contradiction
its spirit running free
All questions posed and answers sought
now kindling burned to ash
The dialectic self destroyed
—with truth revealed at last
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2019)
Dereliction
Deserting your own judgment
—the highest form of treason
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2019)