Death standing
at attention
for a fated
reveille
Which trumpets
through
the darkest cloud
to rain down liberty
Each bayonet
he wills in place
with fearlessness
empowered
A call to arms
through hill and dale
to launch
‘His Finest Hour’
(Winston Churchill At War: December, 2025)
\'A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose\'
A wolf when
raised by dogs
forever
is a wolf
A banker once
he’s crossed the line
can never
steal enough
Aristocrats
their titles
banned
in practice stay elite
A dilettante
who’s been exposed
is then declared
effete
An arrow
with its feathers gone
when fired
lethal still
A grizzly bear
that’s been declawed
his teeth
remain to kill
A judge
without a jury
still hands
a sentence down
A clown
without a circus
can yet
erase a frown
A cop
without a badge
will chase you
till you’re caught
A Nun
without her habit
plain clothed
— in virtue walks
(Thank You Gertrude: December, 2025)