Petals Falling

I took health for granted,

my youth like a rose

 

To bloom in the present,

till thorns would depose

 

Attacking my body,

invading my mind

 

The sleep I’d grown used to,

much harder to find

 

Not a cold or a fever

for so many a year

 

No matter the weather,

with nothing to fear

 

But time is recalling

its card worn and thin

 

Infirmity threatens

—death budding within

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: October, 2020)

 

The Final Act

Is consciousness different than having a soul,

reflection unhallowed—eternity trolled

 

Does the magic within us begin and then end,

finite conscription—one lifetime to spend

 

And if unrelated, then what lies between

what we feel and we ponder—perchance then to dream

 

Till that final unveiling where death at last shows

the truth of the matter—that nobody knows

 

(Villanova University: October, 2020)

Transactional Love

I offered two nickels,

she demanded a dime

It wasn’t enough,

her anger declined

 

“Can’t you make change,”

she then shouted aloud

And while counting my failures,

her voice reendowed

 

But the count was undone,

all divisors were shunned

My offerings

attacked

 

With her vault locking down,

 and my ledger unbound

The numbers red

—not black

 

(Dreamsleep: October, 2020)