Writing the final chapter…
the bells in the tower ring for me
Once for each phrase unwritten
twice for each grievance atoned
—as—
“Schoolchildren rise
pulling back the covers on the flowering meadow
Singing my words
blessing the fields as they run
“Memory half gone
released into the cradle of times rebirth
Taking what I gave
and leaving what I could not forgive
“The reasons, the seasons
melding together, flashing lost images
Redeeming their promise
christening new moments forever endowed
“Yesterday and tomorrow
I am free of their deception
My last words to stay hidden
—in the laughter of a child”
(The New Room: June, 2022)
Bird In Hand
Money for today
but not for tomorrow
Bees in the bonnet
cows in the barn
Poverty lessens
the weight of ambition
Our wishes and dreams
back burner to warm
Love for today
but not for tomorrow
Feelings with shelf lives
spoiled by date
The moment usurps
each hour an orphan
Whose bird in the hand
—neither early nor late
(Dreamsleep: June, 2022)
Heat Rises
Answer with Poetry…
tempted by Prose
Passions arousing,
feelings exposed
Silence your dialog,
parry in verse
Now more than ever
—quenching your thirst
(Dreamsleep: June, 2022)