The Secluded Scholar (a sonnet)
The shadows on the wall grow long and dark
as golden afternoon begins to fade
and dwindle to a gray and wat’ry mark
that dampens now the joyous noise of day.
Do you remember, dearest, when you bade
me to fill up those shining afternoons
by making for my yellowed books a trade:
dust for air and twilight dark for bright noon?
Those lovely days have left us far too soon,
as treasured daytime bold creeps into night.
Oh, if your joyous love I could exhume,
the coming dusk would be no fearful sight!
I long for your bright laugh and golden looks,
for I am choked at night by dusty books.
Blindly (or: Inspired by a Lonely Astronomer)
Life is merely a matter of
Balance–
between pressures from within
and the gravity of
Life without.
Hydro-static equilibrium
of the mind
keeps the heart from exploding
or crushing under the
Force of
the Universe.
Forces incomprehensible
in Blackness
shapes stars and galaxies into
Curves of intellect
and reason.
On what curve do we travel
through the
Chaos Void?
All existence is merely measured
as relative luminosity
within the great deep
black Field–
Perspective limited by
laws of Time
and Love.
We see one curve, one
spark of Light, and then
we dream of nebulas
And gaping holes of
Hope in
the fabric of Reality.
It is a moment’s infatuation
with Eternity.
We are on a blind date with
the Universe.
Bystanders Anonymous
Best friends talk together, walk together, and brainstorm together. In the case of me and mine, it is also virtually inevitable that we also write together. Hence, these lyrics are a combined effort born from an evening of mutual upset and “I really need to write, but I don’t know where to start”. So, even though he wrote half of them, these lyrics (their existence, anyway, if not their specific content) are dedicated to Dana, because on most days I can’t do things without him any more than my right hand.
Bystanders Anonymous
Who will live your life today?
I’m sick of standing here with you
While you give yourself away
You’re leaning on your constant lies
The lies that blind your sight
Will you ever realize
Your eyes aren’t open to the light?
I’m your bystander
My voice is muted in your head
You walk on by
With your next guy
Living like I’m dead
What ever happened to the trust
We used to stand upon?
My tears are turning me to rust
‘Cuz the you I knew is gone
I’m looking at a hollow shell
Of the girl you used to be
This must be some best friend’s hell
Your apathy is burning me
I’m your bystander
My voice is muted in your head
You walk on by
With your next guy
Living like I’m dead
Please don’t leave me standing here
Because you’re standing next to me
And someday, you’ll wake, I fear
To find you’re fin’ly conscience-free
You’re the bystander
Your voice is muted in your head
You walk on by
With another guy
Living like you’re dead
Come dear friend, regain your sight
So we can leave this endless night
Of being Bystanders Anonymous
Of life.
