Living in the present

past—future

combined

 

The excuses get

cornered

—reasons sublime

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

Borrow someone else’s truth…

but there’s one you need to own

 

Whose lease runs out as time grows short

—life’s contract yours alone

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: January, 2017)

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)