A Heart Forsaken (Senryu)

A heart forsaken
Withers and dies from neglect
Make the time to love

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Harbor No Ill Will (Tanka)

Harbor no ill will

Make friends of your enemies

Though unnatural

Forgiveness is essential

To live a spirit filled life

So easy to say

In the right circumstances

Though hard to commit

Once anger has taken hold

Breathe deeply and let it go

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Injustice (Acrostic)

Insanity rules in our narrow world

No one is safe, especially men of color

Justice is clearly for the chosen

Undermining all that we hold sacred

Slaughter at the hands of those charged to protect

Time and again goes unpunished

Ideologues believe us civilized

Constantly calling for calm

Entrusting their fates to this broken system

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Do You Fear Silence

Do you fear silence?

Does the absence of voice scare you?

Do you hide behind white noise?

Do you seek shelter in the arms of music?

Do you try to drown it out with television?

What are you afraid of?

Is it that perhaps your inner voice might speak,

That the Divine might make its presence known,

That you might see into the darkest recesses of your soul

Or is it that you might come to realize that there is more out there

Than what our mortal senses reveal.

There is nothing to fear dear one;

Embrace the quiet,

Look within for the answers you seek,

Call upon the Divine for guidance,

Wrap yourself in peace and love

And know that in silence

…There is wisdom.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Blanket Overhead (Haiku)

Blanket overhead
Gray and low, most menacing
A storm approaches

~~Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Secondhand Whispers (Tanka)

Secondhand whispers

Softly, rhythmically droning

Fleeting in countdown

Too busy–we wish them gone

That is until the drone stops

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Why Do I Love Thee

Why do I love thee, seems a foolish thing to say,

Perhaps it is all the little things you do most every day.

A tender smile, a loving glance that lets me know you care,

The giggle of a schoolgirl, the way you twirl your hair.

 

Maybe it’s the caring heart revealed when I was ill,

Giving without hesitation though you likely had your fill.

All these things no one would notice in their daily grind,

But I, yes I alone do notice they are etched into my mind.

 

All of these are things I see and with aging ears do hear,

Though it’s surely something deeper that brings this man to tears.

Something from the deepest recesses making two one whole,

Touching every fiber of being down to my mortal soul.

 

It’s something that I cannot see or put in simple words,

Futile it would be to even try sounding most absurd.

So why is it that I love thee, still a foolish thing to say,

It’s everything about you that that I never could betray.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

The Greatest Of Loves (Haiku)

The greatest of loves
Need no words to so express
Written in the stars

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

We Look For Difference

We look for difference
Superiority is ego’s way
To set us apart
Superficialities–race, creed, color
Used to denigrate
Peel away what your eyes can see
Silence religion
Open your closed mind
What rushes forth from this cauldron
Blood, flesh, tears, soul
Crying to be understood
Begging to be seen as the mirror sees you
So simple to put in a simple word
Yet one that rarely escapes the lips
Said in passion
Said to our spouses
Said to our children
But one seldom shared with strangers
Love

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Leaf Saunters Downward (Haiku)

Leaf saunters downward

Unable to cling to life

Winter has conquered

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~