A stitch past nine on borrowed time,
Memories come rushing back
The Wolf is feasting in Grandma’s bed,
Red Riding Hood a snack
A Cow gets ready to jump again,
when the moon drops from the sky
Humpty Dumpty a mess on the floor,
—the last horseman says goodbye
The candle burns for Jack’s last jump,
a quickening funeral pyre
The stepmother screams, Cinderella hides,
her daughter’s dress on fire
Little Jack Horner abandons his corner,
curds harden and whey runs aground
As Mother Goose watches the Grimm Brothers die,
—not a child in sight to be found
(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2017)
Both Ways
Stricken with blame,
enamored by praise
My words caught between,
—and travel both ways
(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2017)
The Time Is Near
The leaves have fallen,
the birds did sing
Memory lingers,
tomorrow brings
A promise spoken,
a solemn vow
The present honored,
—all faith avowed
The years enlighten,
as age sets in
While youth remembered,
still burns within
The gates now beckon,
their pearl’s endear
My heart unburdened,
—the time is near
(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2017)