A Promise Made

when first we met
our age the same
a young trainee
I sensed your grace

your symptoms new
myself inept
and soon the word
from others came

leukemia
is what they said
a dreaded fate
for one so young

the drugs instilled
a toxic mix
and soon your life
began to fail

from handsome youth
to swollen corpse
and through it all
your courage held

your pretty wife
was at your side
and through her tears
her love expressed

and for my part
a promise made
to face my death
as you had done

now decades hence
the memory fresh
your battle still
a source of strength

Winter Stream

clear and cold
it tumbles down
o're rocks and ice
through snowy banks

no sluggish flow
or muddy floor
no stagnant pool
or summer stink

a welcome sight
for bird and beast
when frozen ponds
deny them drink

Time to Live

the news arrived
a sudden jolt
a toxic cloud
of dread and fear

a fog of pain
his life on hold
a fervent wish
was made in vain

but then the push
to gather facts
to have a plan
to foster hope

and once begun
a sense of calm
the path now set
the journey clear

and past regrets
began to fade
as future goals
held less appeal

for now these days
held more import
his present was
his time to live

Ode to a Young Gannet

when first you heard
those endless cries
you could not see
the restless hordes

but now you sense
how lost you are
amidst a sea
of swooping forms

and huddled there
how could you know
that sheet of blue
your future home

but first survive
the frigid gales
and then endure
the rain and sun

your parents strive
to keep you well
as scavengers
await your death

should you survive
it's off to sea
until your time
to parent comes

Night Vision

it is at dusk
our landscapes fade
as mother sun
withdraws her light

and then we see
the worlds beyond
and face the truth
that darkness brings