303rd
The Black Knight
For the old darkness had a name
Where I once was blind
I wish I couldn’t see
What used to run through my mind
Is a foreign thought to me
My heart beats a hollow cadence
As abandon gives way to prudence
I’m searching for my feeling
In every black word on each page
The stars are peeling off my ceiling
My soul was born in a previous age
Echoes run up and down the halls
Screeching silently in the squall
The door shuts on my eyes
Waterfalls begin to flow
Oxygen comes in sighs
Of memories midst the snow
The chapter unfinished ends
I’m waiting till it begins again
There’s an emptiness inside
A violin quartet
Hope deems fit to hide
Dreams fall from the parapet
In the quiet peace grows anew
As whatever’s left soars away with You
Across the Miles (Fingers Weaving)
The Black Knight
Whispering all the while
Watching the fields pass by
Underneath the sapphire sky
Where the flowers bloom and cheer
A carefree beauty here
Fingers swirling the pristine air
Anticipation waiting there
And as the light starts to fade
Dusk eclipsing brightest day
The clouds are painted in the west
With oranges pale and yellow's zest
Still your hand is wrapped in mine
Drumming, tapping to pass the time
The stars shimmer into view
Silver specks in a navy blue
Telling tales millenia past
A passing record fading fast
The miles tick the numbers on
Beloved mountains here then gone
And yet a still, quiet peace
Sets my beating heart at ease
Palm to palm and fingers weaving
As the miles are rapidly leaving
Active in this Time
The Black Knight
A rhythm all its own
A longing just to start
To move these limbs of stone
Focus escapes my grasp
Concentration is too much to ask
As I sit here ill at ease
Drumming my fingers on my knees
I've been made for more than this
More than paychecks and to-do lists
There's a reason to my being
A purpose for my breathing
A calling on my life
A basis for the strife
And so I'll wait patiently
Active in this time
There's more to life than I can see
For my mission is sublime
All is but Opportunity (Four Words)
The Black Knight
And to memories unhad
Not a formal introduction
Nor a distant glance
All is but opportunity
Hope walks with trepidation
Light will soon shine
And mystery made clear
Under the evening lights
Reveling in friendship anew
Everything is but opportunity
Lost midst my dreams
Another Year
The Black Knight
As time keeps moving on
Look around you now
What you see won’t last long
A smile on a face
A hair out of place
Wind blowing in the trees
Babies crawling on their knees
The joy of newlyweds
What your little sister said
Candles flickering in the night
Balloons floating out of sight
Young mist above the morning dew
A wink meant for only you
Sweet nothings in your ear
Thunderheads miles sheer
The fragrance of the rain
The way she says your name
Your cheeks ruby glow
Angels fallen in the snow
All of these are fading fast
As time keeps ticking down
Breathe in every moment
As the present dies without a sound
The Candle and Hourglass
The Black Knight
On a table in my heart
Nearby a flickering light
A flame pushing back the dark
The hourglass began
On a midsummer’s eve
When smiles make introductions
And stories granted my reprieve
The sands counted out the moments
That words cannot describe
Each grain precious to me
A diamond in your eye
Moments that I hold so dear
When words flowed like waterfalls
When silence permeated comfortably
When laughter echoed through the halls
I met an intellect and matcher her wit
I beheld a beauty and sought her heart
I found a lady and lost my words
Side by side or miles apart
And so the sands counted out the joy
Each grain through the glass’s turn
But time is a gift given only once
Each grain never to return
Sunset through the window
Foretold of coming night
But oh what precious beauty
In that fading summer light
As the darkness overtook my heart
Bitterness running through my veins
A candle lit to stem the night
Grace and love fighting back the pain
And so the candle flickered on
The light of forgiveness dancing taller
Pain’s power fading out
Bitterness growing smaller
The candle burned for thirty days
Thirty nights burning bright
As the hourglass kept counting
Bathed in the candle’s light
But then with a whisper
The wick burned its last
Darkness reigned again
Around that hourglass
And so I sit here waiting
Hoping the sand still is flowing
Breathless and unsure
Not knowing where I’m going
I’ll wait for the sun to rise
For its light to shine again
For hope is waiting too
Praying for the story not to end
Drops
The Black Knight
A constellation all my own
Each star is named for you
Twinkling all the way home
Teardrops on my cheek
A letting go of me
Each one falls for you
Shimmering with your beauty
Dew drops on the grass
The sun rises again
As I’m sitting here missing you
My family, my friend
Heart's Churn
The Black Knight
In the silence of the night
When the moon is all there is to see
In the stillness of the night
My heart is beating with anticipation
Waiting for the morning glow
The hope of camaraderie’s elation
When the light begins to show
Though my mind resists
And though my heart disagrees
This tiredness persists
Fatigue anticipation can’t appease
As the night gives way to dawn
And the time draws closer yet
I’ll stifle back another yawn
And sleep to stave off regret
Just one more shut eye
One more earth turn
One more blue skies
To end my heart’s churn
Friendship's Spring
The Black Knight
Of a bittersweet mourning deep inside
A happy, hurting heart
Joy and sorrow deeply intertwined
An aching in my chest
A longing for your company
A constant unrest
When you're apart from me
A smile on my face
A dancing in my heart
To know you have your place
A home when we're apart
And so I'll cherish my memories
Polished over time
Replay the moments dear to me
A reminiscence sublime
But my eyes are on the clock
Counting down the days
Waiting for the next tick tock
To end our parted ways
And there will my heart be whole again
There will my soul sing
When the bittersweetness ends
And gives way to friendship's spring
Memories In the Night
The Black Knight
Flashbacks fade in and out
Voices a whisper, a shout
Life slowing, slowing
The earth turning, ever turning
Black shadows surround
Bright lights all around
This year in movement blurred
Days, weeks, minutes slurred
Through the confusion clear
Your face, your eyes so near
Jewels in the enveloping dark
Memories in the night, a spark
Times spent with you
Vanish as the morning dew
Reappearing in their time
Ever closer to this heart of mine
Years will ever pass
Slowly, quickly in a flash
Yet even if time never ends
No matter what’s around the bend
When life goes too fast
Memories of you will always last
Life is Full of Paradox
The Black Knight
Shining softly in the morning light
The trees stand forest green
Coated with a frosty sheen
My breath fogs in the early air
As birds sing here and there
In this peace I can’t explain
In this land without a name
Where my footsteps are the only tracks
Where there’s only forward, never back
I’ve found a taxing serenity
A quiet, peaceful agony
A tension to beguile my mind
A pressure to search but never find
Life is full of paradox
A treasure hid in an un-openable box
Love's Quiet Uproar
The Black Knight
Is different than before
A piece of my heart gone
But in its place, so much more
A family across the waves
A home in their hearts
Emotions too deep to say
Tears, laughter, darkness, stars
I never knew I could feel like this
Never knew there was so much I could miss
A smile and a kiss on the cheek
Choking over the words my throat couldn’t speak
Bright colors bob in time
A stranger’s face with friendship’s shine
Hands held in reverent grasp
A taste of unity holding fast
There midst the fruit and love
Standing together before the throne above
There in the ardent green
I found a beauty beyond any I’ve seen
Should you find a concrete floor
Bursting with love’s quiet uproar
Where feet dance and children sing
Where hands clap and bells ring
There you will find my heart
A vigil’s candle dancing in the dark
Nothing I Could Say
The Black Knight
Sitting here thinking of you
With your picture in my hands
Sitting here as the clock strikes
Where did all the time go?
Where’s the girl I used to know?
I watched as you drove away
And there was nothing I could say
That I hadn’t said before
Nothing as he opened your door
Nothing when you came down the stairs
Radiant, beautiful, lovely, fair
Nothing to hold back my tears
As I relived all those years
So no matter where you go
I want you to always know
I will always be your knight
As I wait up through the night
And you will always be my girl
More precious than the whole wide world
And no matter what Prince Charming says
No matter where you happen to be
I will love you forever and like you for always
As long as I’m living, my sister you’ll be.
O'er Love and Strife
The Black Knight
Hearts burn as souls ache
Spirits fallen midst the quakes.
Eyes toward heaven turn
Hoping hope to discern
Standing amongst the Son’s light
Is one who carries on the fight
Not in deed nor action
Through love, inspiration.
Strength to rise again
Assist the fallen, the friends
Fighting for the life of one most striking
One who to the Son is likened
Beauty and grace stream
Washing my hands clean.
Her touch is life
To my fight o'er love and strife.
Of Its Own Accord
The Black Knight
Time passes endlessly
Echoing from wall to wall
Whispering back at me
The cold hard floor grounding
My thoughts lest they fly away
My restless heart is searching
For the right words to say
My pencil is tip tip tapping
On its own accord
My mind is rick rick racking
Wasting time I can't afford
There's something I keep looking for
A word, a sentence, a turn of phrase
Sifting but there's always more
Sorting through the endless ways
To say just what this is...
Time keeps on flying by
And since there's no words for this
I'll write my poem in my eyes
Once Again
The Black Knight
Once again I’ll say amen, But has anything really changed,
Am I different now or still the same?
Another year has come and by
Sitting here I watched it fly.
Far away, to a land of past memories,
Tto a land filled with regrets.
I followed it there hoping to reconcile
But it fled all the while
It led me through forests dark and deep,
Eternal places where magic sleeps.
Up rivers wide and broad
Through fields of bronze and gold
Around castles ages old.
Down cliffs miles sheer
Through all the festivals of the year.
I chased it through the past
Flashbacks that didn’t last
Nostalgic about days long gone
But still it led me on.
Toward the future, a burning bright
Repelling the historic night
Blinded I trudged doggedly on
Direction lost its meaning,
Gravity held no feeling.
I was unable to see
But I only reached out to me.
Stubborn to my end
Relentlessly chasing
The un-catch able past.
My pursuit didn’t last.
I returned to today
Pondering words You say.
I’ve returned safe and sound
But my cup overflows with questions
Where does the future lead?
In what direction can’t I see?
Is there a reason for the pain and suffering
Or does life hold no meaning?
Is this my last chance to ask
Or should I hold it in and bid you farewell?
One never knows, only time will tell.
The only thing that’s certain
Is I will never know what’s beyond the curtain.
Stories in the Night
The Black Knight
A tale sparkling in my eyes
A yarn of light and dark
A ballad old as time
I wish that I could say
All the words I’ve found
But there simply isn’t a way
Because my mind is spinning round
I’m left without speech
Without a language refined
A mountain on the beach
A diamond without shine
So take my hand, hold it tight
Breathe in and count to three
We’ll find our story in the night
A tale written for you and me
These the Shadows
The Black Knight
A question, a thought, an exchange, a dance
These the makeup of our lives
These for which we labor and strive
A rest, a peace, a solitude
A war, a struggle, a constant feud
These the fissure in our hearts
These the struggle of light and dark
A joy, a hope, a faith, a love
A promise, a King, a mansion above
These the foundation for our soul
These the pieces to make us whole
A stranger, an acquaintance, a familiar, a friend
A meeting, a furthering, a passing, an end
These the cycles of our greetings
These the changing of our seasons
A sparkle, a glint, a song, a twinkle
A dusting, a blanket, a blizzard, a sprinkle
These the celebrations of our years
These the evidences for our cheer
A birth, a death, a life, a memory
A sojourn, a legend, a quiet legacy
These the spirit of the passing
These the shadows of the everlasting
A Thousand Memories
The Black Knight
That words cannot describe?
That brings a dance to my feet
And a tear to my eye?
A thousand memories all flutter
With hundreds rushing by
Words flash and scents stutter
A chaotic beauty magnified
There’s no one single time
That marks a change in me
No meter, rhythm, rhyme
To describe everything
Just a sense of wonder
That permeates my heart
Letting my hope wander
Guided by a spark
As laughter fills the air
And smiles shine anew
I’m pleasantly unaware
Of when my words miscue
For my mind is caught off guard
And my joy swirls round
So close and yet so far
These songs without a sound
Do you know this rest
When the world is twirling on?
All you feel is blest
So much and for so long
Dancing in the morning dew
Before the colors shine
A song for fifteen and two
A melody sublime
Tickled by the ivory keys
When fingers fly unfettered
Hammers strike their strings
Each note, each chord, each letter
Do you know the elation
Of sitting side by side
With a beautiful creation
Whose grace cannot hide?
When thoughts are quiet
And worries cease
When laughter is silent
All that’s left is peace
Swimming in the breeze
And sliding on the floor
Happiness and ease
Enchantment evermore
Hopes and dreams too small
For the realty I’ve found
Tiny feet in the hall
As faces line the walls
Do you know this sweet farewell
When there’s nothing left to say
And only time can tell
Of what I felt that day?
Times That Were
The Black Knight
Looking back, I wish I had more time
Looking back, I’m so thankful for
Moments and memories fine
Times that were but are no more
I wish there was something to say
To let you know just how
You blessed my life in every way
And times that were I wish were now
You were always there
Listening, teaching, learning, understanding
You always did care
In the times that were most demanding
You lived out love in your life
A Godly mentor to us all
Always there to put out strife
In times that were so big, so small
May God bless you as you leave
And I know that I am sure
My heart will always grieve
And long for those times that were.
Untitled
The Black Knight and Angela Miller
Give a whimsical dream a chance,
Join in with life’s dance
Wrap a heart of Constance
In arms of forgiveness
And sink into a song to sing
Live love dare and dream
Find a course to seal a dream
Set sail, the horizon calls
Set sail, the freedom to rise, to fall
Set sail to live with wings.
Stroke the glass with your oars
Stand upon foreign shores
And survey the glint of pasts uncharted
Watch while foam and sea are parted
Wonder from where this all started.
Live love dare and dream
Find a course to seal a dream
Set sail, the horizon calls
Set sail, the freedom to rise, to fall
Set sail to live with wings.
Watch in wonder as the sun sets
Let it catch you out of breath
Crimson and gold mingled flow
Streaming folds – nothing to hold
Drifting, drifting, growing old.
