Dedication (to his wife, Mary, in "Saints in Verse")

To my Mary who slipped away

   Between dawn and waking

Knowing perhaps that I should know

   Where to find her when I may follow:

In Our Lady's court amoung the fairest folk

  Where tea and sweets harm not,

And words are warm and kind and laughter quick 

  And motherhood is known as golden gift.

There I may enjoy her soft voice again

   Speaking of things most, simply good,

And saying her rosaires as she did

   When she was mine through many years,

       yet too brief to know.

<< The Coming of Our Prince (Wanderer 12/25/2008)

Tecum principatus die ortus tui in splendore, sancititatis,: ante luciferum, tamque rorum genui te-Psalm 109, translation by the Pontifical Bibical Institute, 1945.

From birth princely state shall be thine, holy and glorious: thou art my son, born like dew before the day-star rises- translation by Ronald Knox 1947

Our Prince comes this night,

Haloed in light unseen since death

Shrouded it in Eden, How bright

The stable, outshining thronerooms

Of manarchs at war with day's ending.

Calling for more lamps and torches

So that their glory not gutter out,

Thier scepters' gleam unseen.  This light

Gracing Mother and Child rises from

Eternal burning of triune-Personed

Inextinguishable and divne Galaxy.

Our Prince is heard this night, voice stilled

Since Adam's Creator forsook Eden,

Echoing dreadfully a curse that crushed

Satan to the ground, with promise of defeat

And shame by One to come,  Now royal voice

Is divine Babe's mewling, telling shephers,

Astromoners, rulers of restless hours that

The one come now is one of us, taking

Flesh, bone, blood and all from Maiden,

Child of Eve, but sinless and innocent,

Kept free of Serpent's purpose to nurse

And prosper the infant Rescuer of human fate.

Night of marvels-angelic choristers

Inviting shepherds to royal rendezvous

Wandering comet summoning seekers, stars

Dancing as brilliant diadems, all heralding

Divine victory in man's behalf.  Most marvelous,

That triumph in our race's name won by Prince

In rude swaddling, unarmed putting once proud chieftain

Of Archangels to rout, and offering peace beyond purchase

By enlistment in kingdom kept waiting to be opened

When obedience replaced arrogant infidelity.

In Bethlehem, tonight a holy family makes glorious

Submission: God puts aside Eden's tragedy,

That peace can be our gift beyond merit or mind,

Held out to us in tiny Prince's blessed hands.

text box >>

Mother's Day

God gave us two mothers,

One in Heaven and one on Earth,

One to keep us holy and

One who gave us birth.

Happy Mother's Day

She first saw Jesus

Put to breast

And wondered at

His utter rest.

She last saw Jesus

Taken down

And wept to see

The thorned crown.

But years beyond

The visions were one,

A Babe she'd given,

A kingdom won.

The marks were glory

The babe was grown

The things she'd seen

To the world were known.

But she kept as hers

Once precious thing

The first faint cry

of the world's own king.

O, give me a bit

of this pool's drink,

my love.

Where it is a quiet soul

but alive and loving.

All this fidelity

to Jesus, Mary.

And this praying

is peace among the

green hills.

O, pray it a bit

to me,

may we lips touch,

lips brush the serene cup.

One kiss in Autum,

Is worth ten in Spring

For it warms us

and charms us

In snow the winter will bring.

Buy Maytime kisses in the sun

No matter lips are warm

Deceive us, then leave us

Like blooms when the Winter comes.

A kiss in December

Goes to one's Heart

But kisses of June

Are swift to depart.

Kisses in January

Keep faith through the year.

But kisses of June

Are the ones you should fear.

Sleep, Baby sleep

   As Angel hosts adore Thee.

Sleep, Baby, sleep,

   Thy mother's arm enfold Thee.

Dream, Baby, dream,

   Dreams gold and ruby royal.

Dream, Baby, dream,

   of love forever loyal.

Know, Baby, know,

   Your star above proclaims thee.

Know, Baby, know,

   Hope is lost without Thee.