Humanity bankrupted
his checking account,
but his love was not overdrawn
Each check that he wrote,
each choice that he made,
trading ingots for righting a wrong
With credit denied,
and spirit affirmed,
he continued to endorse what was real
Until bankers and lawyers
destroyed with one stroke,
his wishes—their power to steal
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2017)
Winter Comes Early
Winter comes early,
Its heavy coat
Sealing in the cold
The sky
More visible
Its view not the same
The blue faded gray
With distance in charge
And the wind…
The wind never stops
The wind
Never whispers
Like in summer
Sneaking up from behind
Touching your neck
Reclaiming your soul
The winter wind
Pushes and shoves
With its fury
Knowing its time
Is not limitless
Seeming not to care
Winter comes early
When thoughts cannot let go
And holds on tightly
Until the past says
Goodbye
Forcing you…
Into the gray dawn
And the grayer noon
And the earlier
And earlier
Night
Sacrificing your
Reluctance
For a chance
To be free
For that one
Opening
To see
What’s never been there
You close your eyes
And step
Into the frigid wind
Arms extended skyward
Holding nothing back
Staring into
The face of death
Asking for life
Looking beyond
An eternity of doubt
To that place you now
Return
That place you now
Remember
Where winter comes early…
—once again
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2017)