(Photo framed and lovingly personalized by MayLynn Hughes)
"As you sail the seas of life, may you always have a first mate whose strong hands keeps the proper course midst the storms encountered, may there always be a safe harbor not too far from your course, and may you always have evenings to sail in the magic of the silver moon to enjoy the company of one who is held in your heart as special!"
~ A. Charles Roger ~
In Loving Memory for My Friend;
Professor A. Charles Roger
Professor A. Charles Roger
by Maylynn Hughes
As I slowly turn through the many posts he left behind
In our halls of poetry; laughter, tears, intelligent mind.
I find his presence in every room, on every thread,
Pages and pages of his spirit come alive in my head.
In our halls of poetry; laughter, tears, intelligent mind.
I find his presence in every room, on every thread,
Pages and pages of his spirit come alive in my head.
He knew how to inspire us all as teacher was his calling,
I loved to hear each and every floriferous word critiquing.
Though I know he reached many more and taught them too
He was patient and gentle while teaching me, DragonBlue.
I loved to hear each and every floriferous word critiquing.
Though I know he reached many more and taught them too
He was patient and gentle while teaching me, DragonBlue.
I often thought of him as the father I always wanted but never had
With his quick wit and clever mind, I was proud to call him Dad.
With his quick wit and clever mind, I was proud to call him Dad.
He knew how to turn my ugly frown
All the way over, and upside down.
One in our group thought to offend him once with bad taste,
I hesitated not a moment to put that one quickly in his place.
Professor was so surprised that I would defend his honor with pride
I won his life-long respect and loyalty that day, but coveted no prize.
I hesitated not a moment to put that one quickly in his place.
Professor was so surprised that I would defend his honor with pride
I won his life-long respect and loyalty that day, but coveted no prize.
I would defend his integrity to my death, biting teeth and scratching nails
To me he was one of the last White Knights, as a gentleman he never failed.
To me he was one of the last White Knights, as a gentleman he never failed.
We began our friendship in the year 2004, it was a rainy spring,
Trading secrets that none could know and never will we sing.
He read my poetry to me as I had heard it being written
All the nuances of the archaic language, true as I listened.
Trading secrets that none could know and never will we sing.
He read my poetry to me as I had heard it being written
All the nuances of the archaic language, true as I listened.
He could make lunch on the patio sound like a parade.
He could bring tears to your eyes as his words betrayed
His very deep compassion for all of humanity,
He had such a passion for love, honor and sincerity.
He could bring tears to your eyes as his words betrayed
His very deep compassion for all of humanity,
He had such a passion for love, honor and sincerity.
Yes -I will miss him more than I can ever say here,
Memories of conversations between us I hold very dear.
He remains close to my own heart, spirit and soul,
That he called me friend, I am delighted to know.
Memories of conversations between us I hold very dear.
He remains close to my own heart, spirit and soul,
That he called me friend, I am delighted to know.
He touched many a life and mine own so deeply with his essence,
That in our hearts will forever rest his bright and resilient presence.
That in our hearts will forever rest his bright and resilient presence.
I will always love and miss you
Professor!
I bow to you, Namaste.
From my heart to yours,
Maylynn Hughes
And Your DragonBlue
Professor!
I bow to you, Namaste.
From my heart to yours,
Maylynn Hughes
And Your DragonBlue
The Light
In the midst of darkest night when even stars had not the strength to shine,
A poet thought of Love: in his heart a candle was lit by hand divine.
Its source was dim for it was far away from where he stood,
Yet its brilliance diverted his wandering, hollow mood.
Around him reverberated shouts of hope set upon quicksand.
Forgoing divination to find the bedrock of the land,
Romantics erect castles in the gaze of dreams:
Building paper walls with corkwood beams.
Amorous visions frolicked in his mind.
Things set in metaphor the burning in his poetic heart did find:
Tender sentiments to calm another's glowing needs
Completing stanzas by sowing future's seeds.
The wall of distance was struck by rhyme and meter;
Blind lady's scales began to teeter.
In his conceit of stanzas boldly penned,
This dream of love he dauntlessly did defend.
Thorns of a red rose beautiful he failed to see.
They scratched his eye: sight dimmed by love it was to be.
In torment he searched but could not find
The likeness of the rose he saw in mind.
Other roses in their color his heart did mock and ape.
He reached to touch but their form did dissipate
As their substance vanished in the night
So his sonnet was put to flight.
Solitary in the cold mist of lonely fright
Angst of circumstance incited fight.
This foe a ponderous sword did swung and thrust;
Defense upon his fate did dreamer firmly trust.
The sound of blade parting air was felt by dimméd eye
With deft turn its tasting blood the poet's parry did deny.
An evil trick in stealth this deceitful foe attempts,
Tossing high his weapon, his screaming rage he vents.
Handle toward hatless head, it falls swiftly down;
Fear's unleashed momentum breaks Reason's rounded crown.
Strength and courage quickly flee the marshaled field;
Upon the meadow's midnight grass last mote of might gasps to yield.
As seasons pass and cycles in charted rhymes are written,
Barren patch marks spot where candled heart was smitten.
No grass grows where dreamer's candle kisses fertile land,
And dreams fall from heart broken by Reality's calloused hand.
Brown grass gives witness to the once burning candle light
Which had the power to mark the spot of fallen dream that night.
Even after Reason's power ceased to move the heart in pulsing turn,
The candle within that heart continued to brightly burn!
And the darkness comprehended it not..............
A. Charles Roger
August 28, 2006
(The final work submitted to Art With Words, Literary Quarterly)
(The final work submitted to Art With Words, Literary Quarterly)
A. Charles Roger - In Memory
by Ted L Glines
Early on one morning, while browsing postings on the Art With Words MSN site, I was stunned to find this: “Professor A. Charles Roger passed from this life on January 13th, 2007. 'He just slipped away during the night.'” The news had just been received by Maylynn Hughes in a card from a friend. At first, I saw the startling words without being able to comprehend their message. And then it sunk in and everything in me said “No!”
There are those of you who knew the “Prof,” his works, his warmth, and his veneration for the written word. We will share a feeling of great loss at his passing.
A brilliant writer and literary critic, A. Charles Roger's works, especially his critical essays, were studies in color and imagry, sight and sound, comedy and pathos, and his phrasings stretched your poetic mind to new bright levels. You might write a poem. The “Prof” would read it and then compose a critical essay (about your poem) which would be far more creative and entertaining than your original work. He very simply was a creative genius with written expression.
We who were fortunate to have known and appreciated the “Prof” will agree that A. Charles Roger was one of a kind, both as a writer and as a friend. Our world is a poorer place now that he is gone from us, but the Summerland of Heaven has gained a loving, creative, and deeply compassionate Professor.
Salut!
Mourning
by Ted L Glines
sitting in his car - turned to the camera
pipe in smiling lips
eyes grinning
how can this face be gone
... dead ...
??????????????
I look at the photo
living in front of me
and I do not comprehend
... gone ...
I know you will mourn him too as I have cried many times reading his words and thinking of his aura so beautiful and full of love. I looked so hard for him back in January. I called 20 hospitals in a 20 mile radius of his home, for I had recieved a christmas card from him telling me of his ill fated prognosis and that he would be back after the first of the year, but as December turned to January, I knew something was wrong. I tried to contact the fire station that he volunteered at, I even looked to find a neighbor that was close enough to call, but everyone was 10-15 miles away. I tracked down his phone number only to find it had been disconnected.
Finally, and I don't know why I had not thought of it before, I snail mailed him a dedication I had written to him, and the reply was the result that I have posted here and at Art With Words.
I know that he would have wanted to go the way he did, and I am so happy he was blessed with the dignity of 'slipping away in his sleep'. I feel as if his card to me was his way of saying goodbye, for I felt he knew then that he would not be back. With the purchase of his 'babe' in the last quarter of 2006, and the way he spoke about his life and how much he had accomplished, in our last conversation that lasted for hours, lets me know that yes, he knew he was going. I sensed it then, but refused to believe that he could leave our halls, as his spirit here will live on forever, it will never be the same without him.
I must pause for my eyes are too blurry to see.
Love & Light!
)O(
DragonBlue