. The Dying It’s getting to be time again when all the leaves, their labors nearly done, prepare their legacy....

. The Chief Baker Responds to Joseph "And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets...

. Nothing Compares Last year, on a private tour of Italy and Spain, I saw the Colosseum and cathedrals… so...

. I Love My Paranoia I love my paranoia That no one else can see. It’s like a loving shadow...

. Bright Light, Some City "It's probably a reflection of my own, if I may say, loneliness. I don't know....

. Storm Dog Thunder, bounding through the holler, shouts. The lights are flickering but are not out. My dog is...

. Something in the Water The swimmer had removed her clothes, __Then turned and gave a wail, For in the...

. Take Me Out to the Ball Game The game of baseball’s changed since I was younger, Back when the...

. Devotions Night after night, for nigh a year, When bedtime came, we’d watch our child Be overcome by his...

. Lamplights at Dusk  Along the tree-lined lane, I walk at dusk, On pavement gray, well-washed by autumn showers, And...

. California Meme-ing ---on Gov. Newsom's recent ban of AI deepfake memes The perilous and puckish AI fairy Has magicked...

. The Painter  The moment when a painting is complete, He starts another piece without delay Like respiration—take a breath;...

. The Last Petal In a garden old and wise, Where blooms and seasons intertwine, A rose stood tall against...

. The Father of All Lights "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from...

. Oaks of Righteousness “That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD…”  ---Isaiah 61:3 What...

. Of Windows and Lawns "I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn."...

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtNh_jWAzKU . Henry Knox in His Bookstore ---from Legends of Liberty, Volume 3 The chiming of a doorway’s silver...

. August, at Your Pleasure The year, by August, late in middle age,gives knowing winks to autumn as the goldof...

. Follow the Miracle A random head-turn? Vector wind deflection? Or was it truly heavenly protection? His head came close...

. Viracocha Viracocha made the world, __He made it in a day. A day in Viracocha’s life __Would leave you...

. Valediction for a Critic "She can second-guess the sixth sense of a poem." —Seamus Heaney "I thought—and still think—that...

. Light Wave Heatwave When the temperature rises, a worker despises __The withering glare of the sun. When the sweat’s...

. Kristallnacht---The Night of Broken Glass I tell my son he must not make a sound. I whisper, “Karl, this...

. To September Your fields and groves are lushly emerald still; Your flowers still waft their scents and vaunt their...

. Let’s Laugh at Leftists with a nod to Joseph S. Salemi Step right up and see the freaks, Who...

. Catullus XI Furius and Aurelius, my two friends, Whether I go to farthest India, The shore by ever-pounding Eastern...

. When Your Foe Is Perilously Strong When your foe is perilously strong It mightn’t be too preposterous or wrong To let...

. Solitaire A fresh tableau gives hope of gaining traction In the builds. Shortly, though, you see you’re beat. It’s...

. There Are Masters and Then There Are Masters The moth’s desire for muzziness of moon Looms large in some...

. Over the Hill Now that you’re "over the hill," Relax. Enjoy the view. Life’s a beach, so chill. Work?...

. Flora's England The hedgerows droop with bulbous berries black As feathers of the Raven in the sun Of August,...

. A Prayer in Three Quatrains Too well I know, I am a son of error; Too well I know...

. The Traveler I walked along a dusty road, The night was long and cruel and cold. When suddenly upon...

. Common Brief I watch the leaves awaken in the wood behind our home, as daybreak crawls along the trees,...

. An Awkward Endorsement on Putin's recent endorsement of Kamala Harris for president There's no disputing, Putin's put the boot...

. Crystal Spires or Lake of Fire? The day shall come. For some, just like a thief That sneaks unknown....

. Nehemiah Questions Robert Frost About Walls “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” ---Robert Frost, “Mending Wall” “Jerusalem...

. I Have Waited for September I have waited for September When the stars shine silver white; When the sun...

. Empty Words There was a time not long agoWhen insults led to deadly duels.Today, on streaming videoI saw men...

. Cicada Serenade Boys hang their beat on the heat of the summer. Sticky days twang with their thick, tinny...