The Drive

Tucked away in the passenger-side of the backseat
He dozes off as we travel the same long country road…
His new ball cap covers his brow…
The rearview mirror shows him at peace…but is he?

A mile or so earlier…his stare was distant…sad…withdrawn…
He knows we make this trip every week.
He knows that his time has to be split between the two of us…
But each time…he stares out the window…distant…withdrawn…

I tickle him a little, just under his ribs…’Hey buddy, we’re here.’
He stirs, stretches…and looks around…
‘C’mon…get your stuff’
His movement is slow, methodical…
He’s on the border of two worlds; two worlds he wishes were the same…like they were before.
What a challenge for an eight-year-old to process.

‘I’ll be back to pick you up on Tuesday.’
Only then do I catch a glimpse of his eyes for the first time since we got in the car…
”Tuesday?!?” he asked excitedly.
‘Yeah Buddy, I’ll see you Tuesday.’
We hug tightly…

He walks up the drive transitioning into the other world,
backpack, ball cap, and pillow in hand…
I call out to him….‘I love youuu….’
“Bye Dad, I love you too!”
He exclaims as he closes the door behind him…

I start the drive back to my world…

Bad Blood

No bad blood,
just pain and confusion,
about the delusion of was once a union
of marital bliss.

No bad blood,
Just faded distractions,
about how she was acting,
when the love was gone.

No bad blood,
just lives that are in shambles,
and this is the preamble;
The pain’s only begun.

No bad blood.
Pallbearers on station;
Carrying away love beyond resuscitation.
Second Line is dancing to the funeral sound,
while Saints mourn the love that they placed in the ground.

No bad blood,
Just a gaping hole;
A vortex of love,
and the death of a soul.

No light can escape.
All things are raw.
No bad blood,
from the pain that you caused.

The setting of Ages (Revised)

The renaissance of man
has come to an end.
Mankind has met the Age of awakening
...by snoozing into oblivion.

The love of Architecture, of Music, of Literature, and Science
has been replaced with political correctness and sectarian violence.

Where narcissism trumps genocide and anti-Semitism trumps peace,
where apathy is a badge of honor and beheadings are on TV.

The fusion that ended wars and that powered exploration
is now the weapon of tyrants and madmen
hell bent on destroying nations.
We say there's still hope...we pray and cry out for peace
but the age of man's innocence has long been in jeopardy.

Our lives as we know them are changing for sure...
We've gone from Mutual Assured Destruction to
checking every bag at the door
of every plane and mode of transport
to every container, envelope and package
our liberties have restrained us from even dealing with this madness.

There was a time when the term 'tolerance',
meant the respect of others lives,
but now it means subjugation to hate filled radicals; less we die.
We have those who hate America. We have those who hate the Jews.
We have incident after incident chronicled on the news.

To fight back would make us warmongers,
to acquiesce would mean our deaths.
There's no possible way to appease everyone,
so the end of age is all that's left.

So enjoy life while you have it,
tomorrow there's no guarantee.
Sufficient are today's worries...
In this age of "liberty".

The renaissance of man
has come to an end.
Mankind has met the Age of awakening
...by snoozing into oblivion.