The Man

Long the war had torn the world apart with souls the casualties and souls the cause. The enemy ensconced and great in art made war the hope, and hopeless doom the laws. Silent lay the prophets’ dusty truths that glittered once like lanterns in a mine. The wise men slept in silence while the youths […]

Holy War

We all see ghosts—at least do I. They hang, sometimes, inside the mind the vision spots: fractured slits of broke morality They linger in the memory and sometimes make their presence known to tempt or tease or taunt. – They are because we put them there and loved them—once—from deep inside and gave too much […]

The Homecoming of Johnny McLeod

Pounding down the dusty trail, far up and off away, pounding toward McLeod place. Johnny comes home today. – A year ago, the snow still clumped in mounds of melting gray. A year ago he’d worn his sword— but now he comes home—to stay. – She hardly remembered the smell of his beard. She’d kissed […]

Tenacity of Life

The grass grows tall and green again and death is covered—at Verdun.

Song of the Soldiers

The day will come to lay our swords to rest And enter victors to the Light of home, But we are soldiers set on foreign soil. For now, we press our shields against the blows Of evil ranks stretched to horizons all Around. We lift our swords and charge the horde As arrows fly […]

The Song of Gilboa

The dew has fallen on the grass like tears. The early mourning sun has touched the sky. And far above, that promontory high, Gilboa, rises from the misty years. The shrike of arms, the shattering of spears are memories the wind bears in its sigh. The place for kings and warriors to die is […]

Arm me for Battle

– Arm me for battle, Lord, that I may fight the battles facing soldiers blessed with ease: the callousness within my soul toward light that hardens all the ground sins’ battles seize; a mind recalcitrant and sharp with doubt that you would ever answer my complaint; the stab of fear that all I’ve learned about […]