So close to Heaven,

so far from God

The gate still locked

—the devil nods

 

A soul once bartered,

forever sold

Its mine shaft empty

—mirage of gold

 

All reasons barren,

the empty fields

The seasons wanton

—bereft to yield

 

So close to Heaven,

so far from God

Redemption fleeting

—as hell applauds

 

(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)

Better the will to know

—than to know the truth

 

(Re-reading Don Quixote: May, 2022)

A new beginning

begins the end

A different octave

whose voice portends

 

The circle squares

as angles form

escape your memory

salvation born

 

A new beginning

first and last

Once you enter

the past is past

 

All colors exit

as black meets white

gray indifference

to lace the night

 

A new beginning

storms on fire

 ice is raging

 polar spires

 

Eight directions

up is down

Buried mantra

—transcendence found

 

(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)

 

Where would we be

without the bomb

Was Einstein a savior

or devil aplomb

Our power the fire

all enemies dread

Till stealing its physics  

unmaking our bed

 

The world on the edge

of a looming abyss

Missiles entombing

a terrorist wish

Tomorrow unpromised

all time day to day

Eternity waiting

—forever to blame

 

(Saint David’s Pennsylvania: May, 2022) 

Raging flashes

time on fire

seconds flaming

moments pyre

 

Burning scepters

light betrays

torches fury

embers pray

 

Blind inception

blistered tongues

motion melting

boiled young

 

Bars of silver

chains of gold

locks of platinum

ingots stole

 

30 pieces

forged in lies

minted falsehoods

struck alive

 

Nights of crimson

skies of red

life has moltened

—ashes dead

 

(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)

 

 

Stars light

the beckoning dawn

Shepherds sleep

the wolves have gone

Shadows weave

 the morning wind

Eyes reopen

—deep within

 

(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)

Dying the death

of eternity’s struggle

 

(while)

 

Living the life

of the moments rebirth

 

(Dreamsleep: May, 2022)

 

Sometimes when we speak the truth

we tell the biggest lie

Intention stealing from the facts

 meaning ill contrived

 

The pole is North though pointing South

when asked which way to go

when in the Northern Hemisphere

a liars truth misnome

 

Up is down when on your head

gravity be damned

motion forward, motion back

‘Silence Of The Lambs’

 

Sometimes when we speak the truth

we pander to mislead

as 2+2 is 8 in half

what’s missing—what’s unseen

 

(The New Room: May, 2022)

Democracy’s demons,

they follow and stalk

for every freedom

they strike like a hawk

 

The cost of liberty

its downside abides

to follow intrepid

which vengeance as guide

 

All men here are equal

to right and then wrong

pursuing their happiness

the short and the long

 

Hoping the majority

will rule most benign

many to suffer

from licensed decline

 

Nobility’s tenure

its reign has been long

but treachery threatens

the best of our song

 

Tomorrow in focus

the few and the brave

must suffer the arrows

that seek to enslave

 

And onward we struggle

to save what we can

as menacing trouble

within starts again

 

This fight more than worth it

the day is now late

America bleeding

—our future at stake

 

(The New Room: May, 2022)

Give up your torment, 

take back your verse

tomorrow upon you

for better or worse

 

Take up your wishes,

give in to dreams

sleep in denial,

old memories scream

 

Free up the moment,

strike out the past

damning the future,

its promise unmasked

 

Strike up the silence,

freeing new words

seizing the instant

—forever unheard

 

(The New Room: May, 2022)