Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                 Memory Eternal and a Gift Card from Denny’s

                                                    for

                          William Tod Augustine Mixson

                Saint Michael's Orthodox Church, Beaumont

                                      “Memory Eternal”

A cup of coffee is a chalice in its way
It brings us all to a table of sharing
And consecrates old friendships with every sip
Blessing us at the end with an Ite of joy

But today there was an empty place
An empty cup, an empty plate, empty
Even the air was empty, empty and void
With a joke that wasn’t told today

Max found a Denny’s card among his things -
Tod treated us to breakfast once again

But not for the last time

He’ll tell us that joke at a more glorious feast

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                Shakespeare: Maybe We Need to See Other People

                                  Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet 39

Perhaps if we separated for a few days
We would find more passion in our love



                       (Please note all this artsy empty space)



After fourteen empty lines I find
My deep, abiding love for you stronger than ever
But who’s this…you’re seeing some other man?
THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                     “I’ll Be Away from My Desk for a Few Days”

                 “Look upon my absence, Ye mighty, and despair”

                                    -as Shelley did not say

Every once in an ego you’ll read on a site
“I’ll be away from my desk for a few days”
As if everyone must re-schedule his life
And wait forlornly for Mr. O’s return

Nothing else remains 404 Error 404 Error
404 Error 404 Error 404 Error 404 Error

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                 Shakespeare: Honoring a Muse is Sexist, They Say

                                    Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet 38

They say that honoring one’s muse is sexist now
That the nine goddesses plus one are victims
Objectified passives honored in name
But neglected when the royalties are paid

But a muse is a goddess of power and truth
The artist or writer does indeed gaze at her
But the goddess gazes back, informing your art
With her beauty and her sternest truths

They say that honoring one’s muse is sexist now -
Ignore their jealousies: obey the goddess

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                                         ­     The Spirit of Art

Is

The good, the true, the beautiful

Not

The sullen, the resentful, the envious

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                                      A Decrepit Father Indeed!

                                      Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet 37

Sitting for an hour at an outside café
Sipping coffee and writing verse and, yes
Discreetly noting elegant mademoiselles -
I never got to Paris, but my daughter did

Waiting for a steamer along the Rhine
Midsummer Night in Finland the Brave
A blessing from Saint John Paul in Saint Peter’s Square -
Not those either, but my daughter did

But now

Flying to that second star to the right –
We’ll all get there in our dreams tonight!

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com


                                  Our Eyes Don’t Really Meet

                                   Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet 36


Our eyes don’t really meet, nor do our hearts
But from across the room we still are one
(with complimentary champagne to enhance the mood)
A secret one unknown and never to be known

Our hands don’t really meet, nor do our lips
But from across our dreams we still are one
(you whisper to me from my hollow pillow)
A secret and sweet secrets still to come

Our lives don’t really meet, but they will, you see
Some moonlit night when at last our world is free