Two Stepping In Texas

    Snowflakes

The fallacy of snowflakes

is that no two are alike, 

because . . . chances are,

given the hundreds of millions  

of billions that fall, maybe two 

are identical, 

just as there are

doppelgangers for all of us, 

and just like, odds are,

given dozens of dice rolls, sometimes craps

is a winner. 

Perhaps planets grow life forms

just like snowflakes 

duplicate themselves, 

casually, as if almost undetectable. 

But,

as has been proclaimed 

by countless philosophers

and in “the Good Book” (at Ecclesiastes 1:9),

there is nothing new under the sun 

or above, or beyond it. 

And, even if the universe implodes,

it will recycle itself,

again and again,

with a bang.

-

    Romeo

O Romeo, Romeo, 

you are my David,

my fair-skinned masterpiece—

my beautiful love-boy.

Romeo, you are 

what is left of my heart, my

misguided youth, faded 

(and fading) memories,

my once-golden rainbow,

my final hope.

O yesterday! My Romeo,

you are my raison d'être,

my last requiem,

my grand opus. 

My faux pas. Romeo, 

you are my greatest loss,

all my hopes and dreams

save dying Juliet,

an adolescent sigh.

My best, Wm. 

-

"Snowflakes" and "Romeo" were winners of their respective contests in the Poetry Society of Texas's 2022 Annual Contests and were published in the 2023 Book of the Year.

Eric