Fate Conjoined
A vine can grow
on any tree
Be it strong or weak
of root
To climb until
the trunk is starved
ascending
foot by foot
Caring not a whit
the tree imperiled
it wraps its way
around
To kill the thing
its fate conjoins
and die
— ripped from the ground
*********
To Ian
A light goes out
just South of Calgary
His voice recaptured
in the wind
What’s been said
by saddle bred
As memory sings
— a cowboy hymn
*********
Borders In Place
Giving form
to illusion
the image
contours
Its mask when
pulled tightly
obstructs
and obscures
Dimension
is tactile
with borders
in place
Where false
it is proven
deception
— refaced
************
Our Pathway
Freedom begins
with decision
Choice catalytic
when firm
Our pathway once cleared
by cognition
The fire
— of liberty burns
********
The Words Secure
Neither
the rapier
of sarcasm
Nor
the bludgeon
of invective
Can injure
my letters
— or damage my pen
**********
The Illusion Stopped
Time doesn’t run
— it only deceives
********
Awaiting A Savior
Why should I labor
trapped in these mines
Breathing this death
perdition refined
Why should I trust
that this is the way
Darkness before me
each step on the quay
Though I keep picking
through darkest of rock
The future escapes me
its door remains locked
Awaiting a savior
I struggle each day
Alone in this suffering
— my faith to betray
(The New Room: June, 2026)