Softly Out of Tune
by Michael Doyle

The piano plays slightly out of tune
The preacher is drunk, crazy as a loon
A voice whispers hello old friend
The bemused look hints at the end

Life is one continuing negotiation
It seems a program of collaboration
It is a game of prospective skill sets
And decisions made absent regrets

If you're brave enough to kick down the door
You just might find a little more
Skeletons in closets end the masquerade
While the dealer folds his cards neatly played

There's an irony to the illusions of free will
When after all there is so little to conceal
Shared visions of dreams we've hid
Tells the secrets of the things we did

Scorched earth was never a victory
As it burns to the ground in heresy
All the life that truly matters
Beyond the ashes wrapped in tatters

(c) April 22, 2022  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved