The Tyrol

“The Unfortunate Land of Tirol” by Franz Marc

 

majestic roofline
where Europe climbs to her dreams
cleansing alpine breaths
give respite from history
rancid with savage conflicts

this pristine cloudland
dissolves national borders
competing interests
discover common purpose
elevate humanity

 

 

From my books Pieces of Wine and Riverthink

Bucephalus

“Bucephalus” by Adrian McMillan

mighty oxen boned steed
carried Macedon boy king
Aristotle prepared with
the wisdoms of folly
songs of Ilium spurred
horse and rider in scabbard
and spear across conquest
of continents kingdoms
and caliphates fell to their
iron shod charging attacks
until sharp philosophical
blade split the air cut the
Gordian knot and the
Punjab brought down that
magnificent mount mortal
wounded and bleeding a
cultural path of exchange
penetrating the Hindu Kush
parapets opening seals of
antiquity insular India freed
to imperious gropings by
western born scholarship
then and forever to come

Bremain or Brexit

“Abstract Europe No. 1” by Mikael B

a critical day
in the course of the west
will confederacy
of great cultures survive
the next sunrise
or fall from the weight
of this night
borders cast once again
with the vivid inimical
shadows of history

Carpatho-Rusyns

 

Ethnic Carpatho-Rusyn Homelands

 

 

ethnic culture
a stepchild of history
never possessed
of a country
ever tenants
of political tenements
landlords revolve
wearing crowns
shined by fortunes of war

Trans-Carpathian Slavs
good peasant stock rooted
in shadows of mountains
linguistic ghettoes
comprising their tenuous
range of identity
smack in the high
stony heart verging
modern Europa

orthodox Christian faith
fractured for want of
annealing effects
of a secular power
dividing themselves
among sects of the
Byzantine Grecian
and Romanish rites

a people connected
by blood and biography
shared in the handwork
of hardscrabble hectares
the struggles of centuries
people who nonetheless
own a soft soul
a wide open heart
and a great zest for life

a people I dearly admire
whose spirit I’ve basked in
whose churches I’ve prayed in
whose laughter I’ve shared in
whose affection I’ve enjoyed
whose food I have eaten
whose vodka has warmed me
whose daughter
I’ve had the great privilege
to take as my bride

 

 

From my book Onionskin

Refugees

“Refugees”
Painting by Sooraj Kannan
From fineartamerica.com

fleeing the bleeding
sectarian sands
the children of war
born from dreams
of the late Arab spring
struggle desperate trails
for the Bosporus isthmus
and Dardanelles straits
crowding fearfully into
mean ill-suited seacraft
of ancient Turk apathy
begging for passage across
the divide of the Hellespont
flesh and blood cargoes
the chattel of schism
internecine iron age
conflicts that shook
and then cracked
the five pillars of Islam

fleeing the bleeding
sectarian sands
the children of war
seek some respite
some tolerant haven
however reluctant
unfriendly and alien
wanting at least
and hoping no more
than a relative peace
a desired sense of safety
among more enlightened
of secular nations
with eyes that can see
past the difference
of cultures and continents

Proud Parents

“Family at the Beach”
Painting by Elizabeth Blaylock
From elizabethblaylock.blogspot.com

we made six halves
three new wholes
birthright powers
and passionate traits
two bold cultures
gave sumptuous arc
to the edges of Europe
her eastern and
southernmost reaches
come finely aligned
find their futures
emphatic Americans
taking their place
in a turbulent history
still in the writing
two daughters
one son share a
sibling nobility each
with deep well defined
character each a
contributor giving the
lie to gen x sociology
standing their opulent
ancestries proud

Trebizond

“St George and the Princess of Trebizond”
Painting by Pisanello
From wikiart.com

wound of geography
slashed by the swords
of a Black Sea crusade
Christian Greeks wrest
small thrones from
Byzantium carving
brief Hellenist refuge
exotic with commerce

a gateway for caravans
carrying contraband
fortunes in silk road
transactions converted
to splendors of palace
and public domains

an entrepôt drawing
great treasure ships
into this Caucasus
saddle-land serving the
dream merchants hailing
from Asia and Europe

the landing place dressed
to receive Marco Polo
en-route to his long
overdue reappearance
in Venice illustrious
covered with fame

this was tenuous empire
the last bastard offspring
of bloodlines first born
in the grandeur of Rome
short-lived but sumptuous
thriving despite constant
intrigues of enemy states
till the Turk at last finally
extinguished its flame

The Tyrol

“Mountain Village in the Tyrol”
Painting by Everett Longley Warner
From encore-editions.com

majestic roofline
where Europe climbs to her dreams
cleansing alpine breaths
give respite from history
rancid with savage conflicts

this pristine cloudland
dissolves national borders
competing interests
discover common purpose
elevate humanity