. 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...

. Supply and Demand Infinite happiness isn’t available. Something so precious just isn’t that scalable. Boundless dismay, though, is much...

. Where Virtue Dies In the city of Washington, where virtue dies in the immoral sewage as it putrefies, those...

. Dante in Modern Times If I were Dante, and the quest were mine To reprise chapters of his Comedie...

. Recipe for a Poem Scraped clean of glib and warty observation, On pristine paper place one piercing thought. Add...

. Coupled in Rhyme She sees me better than I do, so in her sight I strive to be worthy...

. The High Priest's Homily Once Man, in thrall to ignorance, believed the world was round, But now we know...

. Clouds Over Skye Vast mounting clouds rise over peak and vale; Their shifting billows filter noonday´s beams, Which pierce...

. Circling In It’s time (I tell myself) we circled in;Gave up at last the overwrought concernThat pulls us this-way-that...

. For All Who Labor by Christine de Pisan (1364-c. 1430) Lady, fair branch where God’s grace blooms,Our labors, Saint...

. Garden Party The sparrows near the feeder flit and preen While predators politely quit the scene. A mockingbird is...

. Married to the Mob He’s going out again today. What for? His hundredth chance to settle some old score?...

. Wisdom of Reagan: Government Waste “Government is like a baby: with a big appetite at one end and no...

. "Thou, in our wonder and astonishment, Hast built thyself a livelong monument." ---John Milton, "On Shakespeare" First Prize: $2,000....

. “Thou, in our wonder and astonishment, Hast built thyself a livelong monument.” —John Milton, “On Shakespeare” First Prize: $200....

. Observation ____Comes morning, __And fog fills the forest Where bluebirds are wet on the wings. ____The toadstools __Are soaking...

. Ode to the Zeer Across the Sahel states, the humble zeer, A pear-shaped or full-bellied earthen pot Strains muddy...

. Autumn Fades The orange leaves decay to crinkling gray, And sunsets sink and fade the clouds to black. “You’ll...

. Oversimplification What so many people tend to say or write, Reduces complex issues of today, To merely simple packages...

. The First Fallen Leaf A single leaf begins to fall. He wants to be the first of all. His...

. Hard To Tell With attributes that only those who know him understand, A countenance deceptive, and a being hard...