Beauty

. A Token of Espousal Sister Elisabetta Dardinelli Speaks Concerning the Token of Espousalof Saint Catherine de’ Ricci (1522-1590) Dixit...

. Ode to the Sun . I Oh first and longest-lasting of my friends, Helen Aurelia, how can I express...

. Ashes Before the Lenten ashes fade and thin, I might remind myself of those regrets More earnest than a...

. Seeing the Forest Listen to the rustle of the foliage in the forest, _And note the motes of pollen...

. The Greatest Time of Fatherhood I know that I’m supposed to say The finest time is now—today. And with...

. A Brief Return Hey, little girl. I’ve come to check on you;To hear your voice, to see your face...

. Snapshot It's morning and you rise. You shake your hairAnd stretch yourself a bit, your elbows high,Your blue night...

. Winter at the Pond I scan the pond. Young birches standing there Have given up their leaves. I set...

. The Vice Worse than the addiction of a smoker, And harder to get over than cocaine, More drawing than...

. Distance Kills Distance kills. It’s always true. In time and space, In all we do. Those on our team,...

  Old Man at the River Old man's at the river painting the scene.He's working on boats and feeling serene.Unnoticed,...

. If I Could but Touch His Hem ---Mark 5:25-34 Forgive me, Lord, you know it’s true That I have...

. Mr. Bluebird Your spirit rose before I spied your form. It dulled the winter sting and stilled the storm....

. Winter Midnights Old numbers on the radio; Through foggy panes, a street lamp's glow; Some aircraft's feebly buzzing sound;...

. Renaissance for Rob Salminen I am as old as I have ever been, And I've not seen all that...

. My Heart's Desire There is one thing that I long for, _and another that I need. One essential to...

. Truths Be Known _A cryptical dawning _This foggy gray morning With images drifting about. _Deceptive impressions, _Opaque are the...

. Capacity “This is too big and inexcusably Extravagant, so next time I insist We buy a smaller glass. This...

. Aged Elation When reaching that age where you fear getting slow, The advent of faculties starting to go, It’s...

. Strauss Vater Scene: Vienna, Austrian Empire: Midnight, October 15, 1844. On this night the famous musician, Johann Strauss, Sr....

. Scarlet Pimpernel Amassing clouds—the air still warm; But you, my scarlet pimpernel, You sense that there's a coming storm,...

. Fifties Country Living Sit down with me my children, come! __I'll spin a tale or two About when I...

. Moments Matter When my daughter was just three __I took her to the zoo. She laughed and smiled and...

. A Grain of Sand A grain of sand got lodged into __A little seagull's eye. He spluttered with indignant...

. Evensong The embers dimmed on the Pacific; _The sky a scarlet hue. One might conclude the fire seraphic--- _A...

. A Bogus Bishop’s Prayer My prayer is not pitched heavenward _To fall upon deaf ears. It’s lashed to Earth...

. Another Winter Another winter's growing old. __Another spring is coming. Another hive, gripped by a branch, __Will make its...

. On the Porch The roof and eaves, low walls or none, slim railings, Contrive a sense of shelter customary....

. Reflections on Still Waters . Isaiah 55:12 You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace,...

. Lament to the Passing of Paper I learned to write my A-B-Cs and form my shapely 1-2-3s on paper,...

. A Summer Hour A burgeoning bush, some butterflies, Low wooden steps, warped, faded, rise Amid the calm of idle...

. Concerning Snow ---a conversation between Beauty and Necessity “Well, there you go again.” “What's that?” “Come now, don't act...

. Classic Case History Though I was blind, it wasn’t hard to see That blindness was a gift at least...

. The Grindstone The grindstone spun as fiery sparks were sprayed,for even iron broke against his force,and by his edge...

. Forecast One to Two Inches Within the snow’s approach I sense a hope Connected more to memory than truth....

. The Untimely Demise of My Dear Uncle Sam I received the somber news __as sun set low today. My...

. Accidents Happen We’re told time tends toward catastrophe, And that a butterfly’s ephemeral wings Might quake the sky somewhere...

. The Settlers —to my forefathers, and all the intrepid men and womenwho settled the Oklahoma panhandle. Across these barren...

. Snow Sonnet Where silent flakes of whiteness fill the air And cutting winds of winter come to rule The...

. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Silently beats an invisible clock. Night turns to day, day turns to...