An Angel's Hymn (+2)

The light burns brightest,

that burns within

Embers warm,

as memory dims

That final verse,

an Angel’s hymn

The light burns brightest

—that burns within

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

The Encore

Are you now denied all access

Has your ticket long been punched

Is your fear stuck in the alley

Intermezzo—out to lunch

Will you ever see the picture

From the far end of the line

Would the curtain serve to raise your hopes

Can a loser ever shine

The doorman calls “It’s Showtime”

As the lights all start to dim

An usher shouts “There’s One Seat Left”

You madly rush within

With eyes that fight the darkness

You find that one last chair

And on the stage, hope kisses fear

—all encores yours to share

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

My Crutch

I’ve written over a thousand Poems,

in search of just that one

Each word to slay the demon time,

each phrase my soul respun

I’ve come so close a hundred nights,

to see but not to touch

Then left to limp between the lines

—their failure now my crutch

(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2017)