Jeffrey Hull

Night sky, West Virginia © 2007 Rick Lee

"There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio:

   What is sacred?
   Of what is the spirit made?
   What is worth living for?
   What is worth dying for?
   The answer to each is the same: only love."

Life's compass rose has four points true,
   Four questions that distill
The breath that animates our lives,
   The breeze that sails our will.

What sacred oil illuminates
   The darkness here below?
What blessed unguent balms our wounds
   And wipes the debts we owe?

What makes men conquer fear and doubt
   And rise to face the day,
When all life's joys must disappear,
   Like dry leaves blown away?

How is it that a man can choose
   To risk his blood and breath,
To fight for where his heart abides
   Perhaps to seal his death?

The answer constant, simple, true,
   Without, within, above—
As say the many, live the few,
   The only word is: love.


© 2007 Jeffrey Hull

The monkey clans assembled
   Each turning of the moon,
And how the jungle trembled
   From midnight to the noon!

They screeched and howled and hooted,
   Ignored no hinted slight,
As loudly they disputed
   Each noble monkey's right.

They held a grand election,
   A leafy crown to bring
With bows and genuflection
   To coronate their king.

Surrounded by his flunkies
   And chosen by acclaim,
The king of all the monkeys
   Was monkey just the same.


© 2007 Jeffrey Hull