Family and Foundation

Family and Foundation

(To Ricardo)

The Saturday Vigil

The Holy Days with family

Family at daily Mass

Family altar serving

Serving on Sunday

Serving a precious soul

Soul in formation

Soul forming a foundation

Foundation immovable

Foundation deeply ingrained

Ingrained but soon hidden

Ingrained but now missing

Missing he seems to have left

Missing he seems to have abandoned

Abandoned the faith

Abandoned the truth

Truth of his Fathers

Truth for lies

Lies wearing cheap lipstick

Lies like malodorous smoke rooms

Rooms of flashy lighting

Rooms of pulsing sounds

Sounds of erudite professors

Sounds of a clamorous culture

Culture at once liberating

Culture deeply starving

Starving for Hope

Starving for Love

Love a simple stirring

Love a rekindled fire

Fire that seemed extinguished

Fire just needing a spark

Spark of his father’s example

Spark of his father’s prayers

Prayers he’s mourned my absence

Prayers he’s held my hand

Hand strong and certain

Hand that built my barque

Barque I’ve buried deeply

Barque that’s fit to sail

Sail into deep waters

Sail to break the waves

Waves that nearly drowned me

Waves now keep me afloat

Afloat I chart a new course

Afloat I seek the foundation

Foundation of my youth

Foundation of the family

Youth

Family

Gary Edward Geraci