No Longer Hot

Is there disappointment in arrival…

anticipation the crown jewel

 

Are the accolades left hollow,

uncertainty what’s new

 

Is acceptance yours or theirs to own,

all badges keyed to lock

 

Does your soul ignite once past the flame

—your words no longer hot

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

One Candle Burns

By facing death,

we embrace life more

 

We see the limits,

each minute core

 

Seen as a friend,

all life betroths

 

Each moment treasured,

our loved ones close

 

And when we face

that final day

 

A voice more gentle,

bids us sway

 

Into the dark,

one candle burns

 

Death’s welcome light

—for our return

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: July, 2019)

 

To My Great Grandchildren

To my Grandchildren, those great and beyond,

whom I will never meet

 

Know that I love you and have seen you in the eyes of your parents,

when they were very small

 

I’ve heard your voices in the trees, when the wind blows softly,

calling my name as I walk

 

I’ve seen your arms reaching out to me in my dreams,

as you cry “Papa” and then drift away

 

Your spirit is mine, as my spirit is yours; and no lifetime

can keep us apart

 

I watch over you now and will watch over you then,

whenever the need is great

 

I’m that voice you hear when you think no one else listens,

and no one else understands

 

And the heart that feels what you will feel

—when no one else seems to care

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

In Their Rooks

Are you a Poet or tactician,

or “A Rose By Any Other Name…”

 

Are your words stained with patina,

some would scrub and some would blame

 

Is your Kingly verse too rough for some,

finding safety in their books

 

Is your verse uncut with edges sharp

—all Princes in their rooks

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)