Beauty

. Nature's War From far beneath the frozen soil the iris pushes high,Extending wide it reaches up to touch the sun and sky. Yet in the greening of the grass, the snows of winter stayas northern winds descend...

. . The Hireling Shepherd painting by William Holman Hunt This comely wench was Emma Watkins, she Who sat for Hunt in eighteen fifty-two. Too unaffected she, she never knew What lay beyond the brink, beyond...

. Today I feel the stirrings of the Dead In crimson-littered fields where poppies blow. I hear embittered groans and gasps of dread From churning earth neath crosses row on row. Today our freedoms fade along...

. From a Classified Location in England Dear Jim---my son---I write from far away. From England, Spring of 1944. June first! That means you’re six years old today! So happy birthday, son! And many...

. Colours of War What colour was the war to end all wars?We’ve watched as men, in grainy black and white,go o’er the top to face the chomping jawsof curtain fire and shrapnel’s iron bite.And when the...

. The Soldier Keeps the Wolf at Bay The soldier keeps the wolf at bay So we may never see it. That is why the young today Simply don’t believe it. You say “We see no wolf out there? So why should we...

. Imperial Invitation Fair neighbor, come, pass through entrancing gates I made to veil surprises and seclude My masterpiece of panoramic zest, Where autumns yet unreddened bear my mark. The servants disappear...

. Robert Jack Eardley was, for many years, Chief Psychiatrist for the U.S. Justice Department. In 2000, he organised a family gathering of thousands with our surname, in the small English town where the name...

. Bywords Language rang and wedged within our mind. Centuries of words were drawn like swords. A surfeit, rhymes, soliloquies entwined, As singers fingered perfectly rung chords. Linguals clang, the cymbals...

. He was the stream and she the underbrush; The rain that fell upon his upturned face. She was the shadowed glade in evening's hush That memorized the sun, received its grace. She was the sea, and he the...

. Last Rites Let not the Rock of Ages ever break Or send apostate magi to the stake; A golden era favoring good men Will likely never come around again. This world, in winter, is a dreary place, Devoid of...

. When summer left and took her warming shawl, The birds towards the south began to fly. The leaves of wizened trees began to dye, As shorter days announced the hues of fall. In town, there is the snore of...

. New Day for the Old Dominion "This is what unity looks like" —Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor-elect Virginians venture toward a vivid day Of family life and work as each sees fit; Next year the cost of...

. A fabled place adrift in history Which makes the spirit ache for what was lost; A masterpiece destroyed in mystery Then resurrected at a crippling cost; A priceless room of amber! A caprice Of luxe and...

. When I crave from my enclave something to eat (Not apples or peas or muffins or meat) I steady my stare at my pantry’s archive And spot a great lot that’ll keep me alive. In my haste for a taste of the...

. Autumn in Vermont October’s maples blaze a way __around a tall church steeple and sugar maples have their say __by raining gold on people. Such leafy vibrance begs to call __all those who wish to see, the...

. translated from Russian by Sasha A. Palmer . Prayer God above, King divine! Heal this spirit of mine! Earthly lies drive away Lest they lead me astray— And for Thy heav'nly toll Please give strength to...

. . A Vagabond Song by Bliss Carman (1861-1929) There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood -- Touch of manner, hint of mood; And my heart is like a rhyme, With the yellow and the purple...

. Glastonbury A deathless tree stood witness while The marshlands round a nearby isle Were drained and bared a hill forlorn; A lonesome tree, long in exile Since Joseph sailed from the Nile— The Glastonbury...

. How Grim Is the Grim Reaper? How grim is the Grim Reaper? Rapacious and rambunctious; Solemn stalker, soul seeker, Slayer uncompunctious. How dim his lair’s darkness? Capacious, crenellated Wailing walls...

. We Sum total of all life is death, And breath sustains us for a time. We’ll live until we’ve spent God's dime. The meter's running faster still. No matter what we want or will, We’re always in His...

. It's raining now in New York City; Yes, I know that's true. For like that dreamer, Walter Mitty, Daydreams take me, too, To fabled places far away Upon a lazy, rainy day Where I can see and do and say What...

. Face-to-Face Meeting up, Darjeeling tea, So familiar, you and me. Here’s your cup, you raise it up Do a little "cheers" to me, Joke on "hospital-it-tea," Say, “How healing is a cup, More than a mask,...

. Men Before Work for Dana Gioia It’s dark and cold. The fleet comes filtering in. They take a breath. They get out of their cars. Half-hidden in a cowl-like hood, their heads are bent like friars walking...

. Fright Night This is the night the dead walk in the streets Looking like neighbors’ children, masked In tricks they have been taught to trade for treats That pose the questions spooks are always...

. As I look out upon October leaves And brown grass weathered by the autumn sun, I see the shafts of light a bare branch cleaves And so much of creation now undone. I feel the sorrow of a world defeated And...

. By Waterloo Station I sat down and thought (on a bench not too far from the turbulent stream) of Edwardian London’s once dominant port, and of trains puffing by, empowered by steam. The air was polluted...

. Lady Macbeth’s Regret Soft hands that led her smitten lord to bedInflamed the flare and thrust of his desire.Cool hands that won his trust and soothed his dread,Now sting and burn in licks of Hades’...

. Perfect Apples The Law of Perfect Apples says it all:A malic acid tang pervades the crispAnd shocking mouth appeal that tells you fallIs under way.  If you should catch a wisp Of summer turning winter in...

. Ballade for His Lady Deceased by Charles d’Orléans (1394–1465) Alas, Death, who made you so bold? My noble princess you possess; My life and comfort you enfold, My pleasure, wealth, and...

. When the goddesses came by the light of the dawn, They were greeted with music, and what did they see, But a flute that was pressed to the lips of a Faun As he leaned up against a deciduous tree; As the...

. I’m old, my young ones. Soon I’ll have to leave. But ere we part I have just one tale more To share---a tale of valor. Never grieve A grandpa who helped win the Civil War! Back then I was a farmer,...

. Autumn You’ll notice, ‘round this time of year, That to the flowers they hold dear, The bees will cling the whole night through--- And if you loved them, wouldn’t you? So what if evening’s deadly...

. after the Epoch Times series' How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling the World History’s tide brought us forth to this day, A dark, sullen mist hanging low on display, The Communist Specter’s tail...

. https://youtu.be/eRp7_tqfxTs On Rumble here: https://rumble.com/vnvehl-a-poem-for-aging-beauties-endless-bloom-society-of-classical-poets.html?mref=iosaf&mc=6b8az Poet: Angel L. Villanueva of...

. Prince Albert in a Can What can I say? I wore a mask and did The social distance thing, got Pfizer-vaxxed And tested negative five times (I kid You not!), did online research, asked A lot of questions,...

. Nature is bountiful giving to man All that we require, however She can; Food for the table and meds for the sick; Gas for the car that can make our lives quick; The air that we breathe and the water we...

. FROM DARKEST ANTIQUITY . I. Ancient Ritual A thousand brown feet burn on sand In Pharaoh’s funeral caravan. By many a mirage they pass Of phantom palms and pools of glass. The princess moves as in a...

. . Love Thy Neighbor Make no excuseIf sheer abuseIs all you giveTo those who live Around you.  OwnThat you aloneMust bear the shameAnd take the blame For having doneTo anyoneThe slightest wrongThat all...

. Heartfelt Baptism The morning rain that washes this day clean of yesterday's despair, of last night's sleep, and promises to turn the pastures green by falling gently, penetrating deep, is waking spring in...