Victim of format,
prisoner of rhyme
Inmate of vision
—exile sublime
(Monmartre France: April, 1978)
Fortune Cast
Writing my own ticket…
a coupon from the past
The numbers all decoded,
my gate approaching fast
Walking down the gangway,
my seat by fortune cast
The pilot sitting next to me
—the flight plan mine at last
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2020)
Entre\'
Admission of weakness,
beginning transcendence
The cry of an Angel
—a welcoming hymn
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2020)
To Torch And Burn
Masquerading in a church full of dreams,
all parishioners in their pews
The preacher straightens his mask and starts,
a sermon old renewed
Hellfire and brimstone come roaring out,
words to torch and burn
His face staying hidden as the nightmare unfolds
—the congregation’s dreams left spurned
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2020)
Hail Athena
Painting with words,
sculpting with sound
Letters to dance
—spoken aloud
(Dreamsleep: February, 2020)
Non Grata
I’ve made a veritable art form
out of ignoring others
Taken it to the highest level,
its crown made out of thorns
Turning my back and looking away,
denying their importance
A world where they do not exist
—no insult could hurt more
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2020)
Nothing And No One
Nothing to believe in,
nothing to hold dear
No one to say what you can’t say,
the waters all but clear
Nothing to believe in,
and that includes yourself
You live in fear the truth will rise
—an iceberg your umwelt
(Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania: February, 2020)
Feelings Sacred
I don’t write for you,
I write for me
To dream each dream,
in darkness freed
All gifts unwrapped,
my table set
My voice as spoken,
no regrets
I don’t speak for you,
I speak for me
The trails I’ve bloodied,
scars decree
Each moment purchased,
verses loaned
My feelings sacred
—words my own
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2020)