The words all come together,

their meaning front to back

Like birds of common feather,

they follow the same tack

Existing for each other,

alone their context gone

All strength inside their union

—where memory turns to song

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

I took you into my arms,

to ask about tomorrow

But then you went and stole my heart,

from dreams of yesterday

Reaching deep inside my pain,

you took away the sorrow

All hurt now gone and future spun

—the present here to stay

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Seven dark prodigals approached in the night,

saying: “One has escaped and

journeyed into the light”

Seven dark prodigals with shadows now gone,

longed for he who had left them

—for he who was strong

Seven dark prodigals wandered the dark,

no safety in numbers,

in search of their heart

“We must look till he’s found,” I heard two of them

say,

seven sins unforgiven

—the eighth gone astray

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Is a lie in its intention,

or its desired end result

Is deception ever lessened,

if the harm is never felt

Can you skate by blame or judgment,

if your evil plans then fail

Or are you even more at fault

—when you lie to no avail

(St. Davids Pennsylvania: June, 2019)

Who speaks to you sincerely,

who calls your name out loud

Who plates your image clearly,

and picks you from the crowd

Who tends your words forespoken,

as you wander near and far

Who waits for you rewoken

—beyond the nearest star

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Bless yourself,

before blessing others

Forgive yourself,

before forgiving others

Understand yourself,

before understanding others

Love yourself

—before loving others

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

I’ll create my own reality,

in spite of what you say

A distant voice you fear the most,

the hunter not the prey

You wish for something then hope it’s true,

and wait with fingers crossed

To dump the emptiness upon my soul

—your heart defiled and lost

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Symptomatic folly,

the tail now wags the dog

Whose bark, it whimper’s drolly,

all teeth removed and gone

Reacting, never acting,

new victims every day

All courage has retracted

—the future in harms way

Jailed speech unto the warden,

mere words may not contend

Our patriotic burden,

its truth we must defend

With cowards grabbing power,

a swamp that we must cross

Lies from ivory towers

—to fell at any cost

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Writing verse,

I dally forth

Hours more stole,

than loaned

Prose to suffer,

and wait in line

Time once more

—deposed

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

You call it a particle

He calls it a wave

They call it energy

—I call it light

You’re locked in physics

He’s locked in quantum

They’re trapped in theory

—blocking all sight

Let go the dissection

Let go the mechanics

Let go the empirics

—your eyes then to see

Reach out for the music

Reach out for what’s timeless

Reach out with your spirit

—set yourself free

(Villanova University Monastery: June, 2019)