Thick skin

Thin skin

Are they worn the same?

 

Praise yes

Blame less

Does any truth remain?

 

Thick skin

Thin skin

To open or to hide?

 

Reasons for

Excuses against

To laugh—or then to cry

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: May, 2016)

If music is a celebration

  the Blues its hidden nest

 

As voices rise in jubilation

  all souls by delta blessed

 

Its words reveal a joyous cover

  its notes a mojo hymn

 

Old feelings hatched and beating low

  —the Blues to spread its wings

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: May, 2016)

A fair wind blows

  into my soul

   —its breath to steal my heart

 

In verses only

  you can sing

  —of love to never part

 

(Your Father, May 2^nd,2016)

I loved you with a first love

  no second love would ever replace

 

I loved you with a first love

  that when lost was forever to ache

 

I loved you with a first love

  when my words were fresh given and new

 

I loved you with a first love

 —my heart captive with feelings so true

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2016)

Never giving it all

Never losing it all

False wisdom

From the voices of drought

 

Emptying my heart

With a soul left in parts

All promises

Vain wishes in doubt

 

But giving it all

New rain started to fall

My eyes opening up

From inside

 

The clouds pulling back

Showing dreams neatly stacked

Where my will and my spirit

  —reside

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2016)

At what point…

 does the fiction you’ve created become true

 

At what point…

 do old lies make more sense than new truths

 

At what point…

 do prevarication and veracity reframe

 

At what point…

 do they come together—their message the same

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: July, 2018)

It takes from your body

  but steals from your spirit

 

Hope its main victim

  —promised future unseen

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2016)

Watching myself

Wanting you

Standing alone

 —the end in view

 

Watching myself

Reach out through the pain

Lost shadow of night

 —last tear in your rain

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: April, 2016)

Out of great struggle

  comes even greater opportunity

 

Each threat being glue

  and a tie that binds

 

With noble purpose

  we define our highest calling

 

Freedom in our blood

  —by our will refined

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: July, 2016)

  ‘To America, On The 4^th Of July’

Forty-five caliber abstract

 targets big and small

 

Bullseye in the mirror

 memories recalled

 

Warning shots abandoned

 prey now closing in

 

One last bullet chosen

 —fired from within

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: June, 2018)