Prince without lineage

King without a throne

Master without servants

Lover of that unknown

Hearer of what’s unspoken

Seer of things divine

Lord among the jesters

Voice for all the mimes

Reason, when excuses falter

Questioner, when answers fail

Link between the seasons

 —first breath a baby wails

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

The one answer left to me

 is captured in verse

Old roadmap destroyed

 old play unrehearsed

The light becomes blocked

 as it shines from without

Its story an old one

 its warmth left in doubt

The road to this moment

 paved over in verse

Its bedrock a question

 an inner rebirth

My eyes closing tightly

 the last chant has begun

Past-future in ruins

 as within—I become

(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2018)

Crossing over,

  I thought it’d be different

Crossing over,

  I thought things would change

Crossing over,

  I thought I’d be better

Crossing over,

  I fought through the rain

Now looking back,

  I see demurely

Now looking back,

  I see through the fog

Now looking back,

  I see more clearly

Now looking back

  —through life’s epilogue

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

My heart belongs to providence,

   as I walk that final mile

My footsteps bought and paid for,

  as I clear the last denial

My faith is bold and steadfast,

  as new rain begins to fall

Through the fog a horn is blowing

  the gate now open—Gabriel calls

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

Is life about how many

  or then about how much

Is the truth in computation

  or in what those numbers touch

Is the measurement empiric

  with a final answer shown

Is salvation in the lyrics

  with the word count still unknown

Is there faith inside the mystery

  that mere reason can’t abide

Is there something deep inside you

  that excuses cannot hide

Is there a wind that blows indulgent

  carrying an echo from before

With a voice that speaks the loudest

  the one you listen to—reborn

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

Wrapping letters around

  the conflict

The war played out

  with words

The fury of shouted

  diction

Slaying enemies still

  unheard

Shooting vision

  into the onslaught

Attacking the silence

  as legion’s advance

Loading insight into

  the canons

Killing the emptiness

 —with a warrior’s chant

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

Longer than forever

 much deeper than today

My heart to pass between

 —love’s final wish to pray

(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2018)

I sold my soul

  for new meter and rhyme

Trading salvation

  for a thing greater still

The joyous embrace

  of one hell damning phrase

Now immortal, perpetual

  —fulfilled

I sold my soul

  as the Devil laughed

Knowing not, my final words

  were for him

Exposing his lie

  and his legions of hate

My last breath

  —Divinity’s hymn

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

Combining thought with emotion,

  the words came to life

The images eternal,

  as feelings ignite

The lines now in concert

  all stanzas to meet

My psyche impassioned,

  —my spirit complete

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)

Are the feelings soft

  but the words rock hard

Turning emotion into anger

  or worse

Are those wishes pure

  when the ink goes down

Are the letters aligned

  or off course

Are the feelings soft

  but the sentences vile

When frustration takes over

  your rhyme

Is the Muse trying to whisper

  as you shout to the crowd….

       “Step back

         —nothing forced is sublime”

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2016)