by Valerie Bridgeman Davis

He was a prophet of sorts
  Alienated from the ordinary
  Unable to satisfy his neighbor's needs
  For normalcy

  He often succumbed to
  Involuntary memories
  That pulled him toward
  The reciprocated jealousies
  Of his long-time
          Lover

  He battled his inner uncertainties
  With cheap wine and writing poetry,
An exorcist's near-perfect tools

And found that there are some things
That cannot be paid for,
That money is an insult
For certain treasures

  He was an obstinate seer,
  Draconian in his perseverance
  To hold on to himself
  While all around him
  People let him go

  Alienating him from the commonwealth
  Which left him with his inner memories
  And involuntary uncertainties
As his own personal

                  canon

[Valerie Bridgeman Davis won the Austin Book Award for her collection, In Search of Warriors, Dark and Strong, and Other Poems. Currently the Vice President of Programs of the Greater Austin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, she has degrees in Pastoral Care and Theology and Communication.]