Paradise Lost: The Virginia Tech Tragedy

Paradise Lost

A cold wind blasts through the windows;
The glass scatters in the wind.
The wind howls ever more;
Quicker and quicker does it roar.

Dark clouds descend down;
The Ivory Tower is enveloped in darkness.
Blood flows in the streets;
Sanctity and trust are breached.

The tempest winds blow;
The sadness of lost comes.
The blood of innocents still runs,
Killed one by one, row by row.

What terror have we seen;
What of their fateful screams?
Why did this have to happen,
This terror, travesty, and sin?

We have seen this before,
And we shall see it again.
We’ve been betrayed by a kiss,
Just like the One, much greater than this.

Why has our generation
Become this abomination?
How can we allow
Our sanctuaries to be desecrated so?

Have we no compassion?
Have we no love?
Is there any forgiveness?
Is there any love?

Yes, there is love,
Love comparing to no other.
We must look to Him, no matter the cost,
We, now the remaining, of this Paradise Lost.

In memoriam: Virginia Tech Mass Shooting Tragedy: Monday, April 16, 2007

Silver Taps

The quiet cadence of steps
Ebbs and flows into consciousness
Like waves on a distant shore
Or drops of rain on drought-stricken land.

Slowly the white-clad troupe
Makes their steady entrance
As the soft march calls
Rise to the heavens as an offering of fraternal love.

The Plaza is dark this solemn night
With only the moon to give the mourners light.
The sky seems to mark the occasion,
Blotting out all the stars of night from sight.

The moon takes on the resemblance of a host,
Its milky white orb risen up
Over the masses assembled below
With a sanctifying silver glow.

The Volunteers stand at attention,
Their hearts racing with anticipation,
Awaiting the swift salute order
Of their ready and focused commander.

The order is given to ready,
And quickly the guns are aimed.
In succession the rifles are fired steadily,
Honoring the fallen Aggies all the same.

The bugle calls its Silver Taps,
Once to the north,
Once to the south,
Once to the west...

But never is the bugle’s call
Sounded to the east
Since the sun shall never rise for them in the least
Nor their smiling faces be seen here at this place.

In the distance visitors are welcomed
By maroon block letters on a water tower
That reads "Welcome to Aggieland."
What love do the Aggies have for one another:

We say hello to the stranger
Even in the darkest of times
And, even better, say goodbye
When that stranger formerly is missing from our midst.

This is the true meaning of Aggieland, my friend,
Where the Spirit is alive, even to the very end.

Rose Ever Blooming

Rose Ever Blooming

O beautiful rose ever blooming,
Like God’s love, all consuming.
Is not your stem so firm in standing?
Or your petals so vibrant with color?

Amid the springtime sun,
You radiate beauty forward.
You stand there unassuming,
But with grace you are soothing.

The grace comes not from you
But the luminous sun of day.
Dependent on the rays so true,
Your blossoms burst open as they may.

So symbolic of love is your quiet beauty;
Those deep colors of red do so enthrall me.

Selflessness

I look at her joy overflowing,
And with unassuming love I look on smiling.
From a distance I gaze on,
The selfish desires to pursue her now gone.

I still find her so compelling,
Her smile so enthralling,
Her personality so free and telling,
And her carefree heart so selflessly giving.

So I am torn:
What I am I to do with a heart so worn?
Should I cast away the friendship of before,
Or should I be a better friend even more?

What is better:
To hide oneself from another
Or to face the issue even further?

Love is to be made selfless.
Love is to be given without reserve.
Love is to go beyond current hindrances
And find the other in need.