The light burns brightest,
that burns within
Embers warm,
as memory dims
That final verse,
an Angel’s hymn
The light burns brightest
—that burns within
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)
The Encore
Are you now denied all access
Has your ticket long been punched
Is your fear stuck in the alley
Intermezzo—out to lunch
Will you ever see the picture
From the far end of the line
Would the curtain serve to raise your hopes
Can a loser ever shine
The doorman calls “It’s Showtime”
As the lights all start to dim
An usher shouts “There’s One Seat Left”
You madly rush within
With eyes that fight the darkness
You find that one last chair
And on the stage, hope kisses fear
—all encores yours to share
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)
My Crutch
I’ve written over a thousand Poems,
in search of just that one
Each word to slay the demon time,
each phrase my soul respun
I’ve come so close a hundred nights,
to see but not to touch
Then left to limp between the lines
—their failure now my crutch
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2017)