WHO AM I?
It is not for me to change or accept that which is
I have no choice for it has come to pass
It is so written in sand for all eternity
I march to the drum beat in pursuit of windmills
Reaching to the heavens all for naught
A pawn on the checker-board as fate makes its move
One of countless stars sucked into a bottomless pit
Fueled by life’s gravity around which I orbit
It is the law of the universe to which I must bend
I search for rhyme and reason as to who and why I am
One link in the continuum of human experience
A life short as a cosmic flash … yet a moment of glory
(May 1997)
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THE CANVAS
The moonlit night with stars ablaze
Sparkles amidst the fragrance of the jasmine
The sunset in all its blazing glory
Shimmers and dances atop the ocean waves
The butterfly in its resplendent beauty
Folds symmetry and color in perfect harmony
The flowers, exotic, breathless and stunning
Make the spirit soar and the soul surrender
Why then all this beauty and grandeur?
Was it created for our eyes and pleasure?
Or, are we just part of the palette?
Part of the whole, part of the living God?
(May 1997)
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WE THE PEOPLE
We reach,
Nobody grasps.
We cry,
Nobody cares.
We die,
Nobody knows.
Who gives a damn!
Anybody listening?
We dream,
Of tomorrow.
It gives us death.
We plant,
A rose.
It gives us thorns.
Who gives a damn!
Anybody listening?
We love
Of heart.
It gives us pain.
Where do we go
From here?
Does it really matter?
Who gives a damn!
Anybody listening?
(August 1992)
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TRANSITIONS
The immortality of man
Lies beyond the soul
In the continuity of life
For as sure as Autumn fades
Spring is yet to bloom.
With each new blossom
Comes a stirring of hope
The aspiration to success
The promise of tomorrow,
Youth in search
Of soul and spirit
Awaits the trumpets
Of the Olympiad.
Siblings loved and raised
Where heart transcends all,
The nest empties
With new horizons sought,
The immigrant’s past
Becomes the progeny’s future
Awash in a field of dreams.
Farewell my child
Fair winds and following seas
Look not behind
Soar onward and outward
Beyond the wildest reach
To the heavens afar.
(April 1993)
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MOMENT OF JOY
The moment of joy
A new child born
A prayer answered
Despair turned to hope
A long sough dream come true
An only son to raise
A friend to love and trust
The bond of love forged
The anticipation of the future
Fired my very soul
You gave me meaning
I dared not fail
An only son to teach
A continuity of self to pass
The family name to entrust
The acorn turned oak
Values solidly forged
Stamp than your mark
With integrity and candor
Let altruism stir your heart
Two links in a continuum
Of battles fought and won
A third one yet to form
As the silver lining nears
For your moment of joy
(February 1960)
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FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL
The bells toll
But not for me
Not as yet …
I have a garden
Five blossoms strong
To love and tend.
No matter the odds
My heart beats on
One more sunrise
Still …
(March 1997)
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E-mail to Victor A. Vella