A Poem — “Now I lay me down to sleep” Each night the same routine Only the dreams change Some fantastic in their creativity Flying, chasing , fleeing Time travel adventures Shootings where frustratingly no one dies Not even the bad guys Heroic deeds of honor and devotion Acts of generosity And hopes of sainthood Predictably the ones with sex Always end too soon Then that…

A Docu-comedy — This is a story in which we are able to listen into a conversation between the Devil and Donald Trump. A talk between two devils some cynics might suggest, but that is a judgment best left up to you, my discerning readers. Donald: Your emissary said you wanted to see…

A Poem — I’ll put a pause in the busyness of my life Take time to reflect Later Pray when I’m less tired Meditate when my mind is less distracted And quiet interludes are available Ah but these occasions prove elusive Always too much to get done Seeking the divine in all people Especially…

As Long As It doesn’t Become A Habit — Perfection is overrated The excellent is the enemy of the good Good people occasionally do bad things Forgive yourself and move on I agree with the above But I feel miserable anyway After Just one of those days Woke up tired and irritable Barely able to mumble at breakfast Conversation gambits by…

(Advice From One Dictator To A Wannabe One) — Given the Congressional Hearings on the Insurrection of January 6th, I thought it would be appropriate to resurrect this piece that was written during the dark days of the previous administration. Dear Donald, Here are some observations that might prove helpful with your current challenges. First, the riots viewed properly…

A Poem — The sun is millions of miles away Planet Earth still spins around it Why do I-We believe that everything revolves around me-us Every word spoken in my presence Has a special message intended for me alone Each facial expression has a meaning Designed for me only to observe And understand …

A poem — Time to walk a little lighter As if cushioned on air Dance with abandon To the music of the universe Sing with all my heart Empty my mind of its worries Look forward to whatever comes next in my life But most especially Laugh With such gusto That I would do a Laughing Buddha proud…

Reflections As My Time As A Jesuit Seminarian in Buffalo, New York In 1971 — Sent, my friends say banished, to Buffalo, New York. Arrived in a snow blizzard, and that proved to be a fitting start to a stormy sojourn. Jesuit seminarians, unlike many other Catholic religious orders, do not keep their novices sheltered in secluded retreats from the world. There are times for…

A Prose Poem — Things couldn’t get much worse in our country That was my naive belief only a week ago And then they did Anger and frustration are without an outlet America has no shame Its heart is corrupt There will be no collective healing in the aftermath Of the slaughter of the innocents in Texas…