Paper stains, molds, and rots in plastic bins kept below canvas.
Book binding swelling, sweating; moisture laden under canvas.
Stitching a five finger glove. Love, does it matter what fills it?
Reprobate fish-hands throw baited sea bass onto the canvas.
Raptors; birds of prey – dive-bomb the glass windows, pray twice, while playing a
Base rhythmic beat based on a C bass clef and painting on canvas.
Race with batons now flash drives; gospel missions running on servers.
Digital, underground, superhighways; Paul sailed with sheets of canvas.
Blacklisted whistleblowers barely standing above the rest.
Moral acts of courage; living in tent campers of canvas.
- Gary Edward Geraci
I began creative writing in the digital world in 2006 in response to what I believed to have been the blacklisting of my career for failing to bend residential property appraisal rules. I had suffered a steady decrease in business and an increase in personal problems, losing my marriage, home, and reputation within the span of several months. Blog writing was therapeutic and productive, allowing me to move on and make important connections. I was also in the middle of a protracted legal battle, one that I had to file alone (I could not find ANY legal representation), with a ridiculously large, international, mortgage lending company and their team of attorney’s. In 2008, the entire mortgage banking industry hemorrhaged from within. In 2013, I received a degree of vindication when a young, PhD candidate, Ms. Weghmann, called me from the Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York to interview me. She had learned of my case while interviewing Rachel, a mortgage broker whom had also suffered at the hands of the lending industry, whom I had previously met through my blog. Consequently, I was one of fourteen whom participated in the research project titled: “Discerning Moral Acts of Courage in the Financial Sector: An Inquiry Into the Whistleblowing Experience” by Katharina Maria Eleonore Weghmann; now Dr. Weghmann. I write this poem in a lyric form called “ghazal” of which I follow rather tightly except for the “Mahkta” - where the poet signs his name in the final couplet. I did this signing, rather loosely, in my Halloween poem “Dressed as a narcissistic”. My poem is about predation, moral failure, sacrifice and spiritual awakening; enjoy.
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