Child poets amongst us
A flash of brilliance
Too bright to behold
Brief and profound
Sometimes too sad
Sometimes too much

In childhood Jim
Tortured by souls
Dead Indians on the road
A delusion and inspiration
Madness descending
Lizard king disappears

Jeff following footsteps
But his own light
A hello turns upside
A goodbye unintended
A rush of water
Pain that endures

I ache for Michael
Lost love unfulfilled
His fault perhaps
Too much too fast
Who hasn’t been there
A boy to hold

Madness and brilliance
Hand in hand
Syd struggled
Promise unfulfilled
Your name to borrow
Nothing else

Love castigated
The hubris required
Ian lost the grip
Joy never known
Sought at all turns
But the end was near

The deep ache
Soul never ending
Too much for one
Our pearl Janice
Never ours truly
Laughter still rings

Demons at all turns
Amy swallowed whole
Wanton abandoned
Excess and hurt
To hold her tightly
Assure her good exists

I cry for each
Figuratively sometimes
Others tears do come
Can’t protect the world
The poets and warriors
All the same at the end