If
number
is the ruler
of form
Then
beauty
the true empress
of love
(To Pythagoras: March, 2021)
Meta-Chrysalis
To become what you look at,
to say what you know
Your eyes to retract,
your wisdom to grow
To live by a credo,
to die only once
Your soul to take flight
—your spirit to hunt
(Martha Browns Woods: March, 2021)
Soul Surfer
What is a poem,
be it long or then short
When in service to others,
to agree and consort
And be it objective,
to run with the pack
Its identity loosened,
its rope to go slack
What is a poem,
when written to please
Each word second-guessed,
each phrase to appease
The critic, the pundit,
the dilettante sure
Your blood for their letting
—your words but a score
(The New Room: March, 2021)