For Roses: v.

Today I am singing
a song of love with all my heart,
a song of friendship
which will never lose its luster
or joy.

Music breaks this pall
of silence hanging over
campus like a cloud:
today a new song
echoes out
for one & all to listen to.

It's much sweeter
when a song of this magnitude
gets sung to those
who appreciate the power
that it brings:
they deserve to hear such
beautiful music being let off
the shelf on which it was placed.
Such songs are dedicated
to those who care,
to those who have the muster
to go out & lend their support
where it is due.

So I sing this new song
with all my heart:
I am not articulating its words
silently
but I am singing from my soul.

(Colophon)

This song is sung for love
as well as for roses,
for trust & respect,
for maintaining integrity
& so much more.

This song I am singing
is life, a living example
for others to take note of.

This song I am singing
is unlike any other
one has ever heard:
it praises lifelong friendship,
promotes love.
But to truly embrace
what this song stands for
one must listen
to the melody & the words.

This song I am singing
is life, a selfless heart
giving as much as he can give.
This song I am singing
is an example of someone
answering the call
to lead, to serve, to commit
his life to a common cause.

It is the common chord
which unites us all,
for love & roses.

For Roses: iv.

Roses: only a select bunch
know the secret power & beauty
behind this word,
the truer, more heartfelt
meaning of lifelong friendship
at work in every letter.

Roses: such an addressing
of sincerity
is a mark of honor
which comes from the heart
& is meant for those
who know,
for those who fully realize
the worth & value
such a flower has always held.

Roses: it is an addressing
of respect, courtesy
all across the board.
At the same time,
the color which this word
carries around
is pure, unblemished -
simple & true in all
of its glory.

Embracing this word
with all of our might,
there can be no doubt
of just how formidable
a rose among many
can be
& has always been.

For Roses: iii.

A few days from now,
life will begin once more
with new plans,
the start of another journey:
who can say
just where we're going?

Who can say
just where the road will take us?
All we know is that life
spent living in this love
has always been a perpetual round
of one journey after another;
it hasn't been about the destination.
At day's end we come away
tired, exhausted, not much
left to give
& still we find the courage
to awaken, to press on
in our search for fellow travelers
to share in our memories,
our stories, our experiences.

We know that the start
of something is about to begin
& one thing is for certain:
our hearts are prepared
for this year's latest journey,
all of the adventure
which it will bring on,
all of its random interludes
of fun & laughter
& most of all,
its valuable lessons
we can return to later on.

For Roses: ii.

First love: only this time
it is something more
than just a passing glance,
a fleeting moment of joy.

There is now
nothing superficial about it.
Who could it be?

All of this time it has
come down to one source,
one closeknit friendship
which has been going on
for life.


It goes well beyond the surface,
for it speaks volumes in honesty,
speaks volumes in integrity:
all of this time
I have supported the love
of my life in more ways
than one could ever know

& there is no denying
just how much time I spent
lending my support,
my dedication to this very love -
only now I realize
just how special such love
truly is & always will be.

It wasn't meant to be
made for just four years;
it was meant for a lifetime.
Though the tides turn,
though there is ebb & flow,
such love remains unshakable
in its integrity
& in its commitment.

For Roses: i.

For love:
this is why some have stood
by your side
fervently, without wavering.

For love:
another reason why some
have held steadfast
& true,
without question.

Along the avenue which goes
to campus, roses are in full bloom:
this is a signal,
a sign of something beautiful
in its formative stages,

lifelong love at last finding its voice,
finally taking the shape
it has always longed for.

It is for love
that we constantly keep
returning to those roses,
for love
that we long to see
something of our lives
taking root, taking hold.

Sunday At The Field

Sunday afternoon: the start of something
greater has found its conclusion,
its culmination in one defining event
which has drawn the hearts of many
over here today. For those folks
who don't know, it's Bid Day.
And so many duders can only wish
that they were out here as we speak,
just taking in this beautiful day,
getting swept up in this very moment
when countless women finally
find out what sorority they're going
to be in.

Here come the stars of this event:
their sorority handbags & totes on full display,
singing their most beloved cheers & songs
at full volume,
one chapter after another finds its way
up North McKinley -
this is the moment of truth
everyone's been anticipating
after a whole week's worth
of skits, chapter visits, etcetera.

All the preparations which have taken place
for roughly a few weeks or so are now
about to pay off this afternoon:
the beckoning calls are about to begin,
sorority music like none other
can be heard, songs of celebration
filling the air with their heartfelt beauty.
(Life is sure looking good right now
& doesn't get any better than at times
like these. Or should I say
that it's downright beautiful!!)

Cardinal & white, rose & green,
bordeaux & silver, cardinal & straw,
red, green & buff yellow,
scarlet red & olive green,
green & white -
these colors are all here,
all shining an undeniable radiance
to usher in this autumn's new bunch
of wonderful ladies.
For those duders who missed the boat,
their loss not mine: Today
is cause enough for celebration,
cause enough for rejoicing,
to get lost in the excitement
of this very moment in time.
Life doesn't get any better than
it does on a day like today.

Grand Entrance

Unexpectedly love found
its way to where all the action is:
once around the corner
love unknowingly made
a grand entrance which no other
has made before or since.
Sweetest thing is, no one
got caught off guard or by surprise.

Wasn't expecting to meet up with
my favorite ladies so soon,
so far ahead of schedule
yet here I am, ready to
brighten the days of one & all.

It feels good to be living life right now,
even on a beautiful day
like today. It feels good to get
on out & show my support
for the classiest ladies ever
to grace this campus.
And it feels good to be
decked out in the letters & colors
I've held dear for the longest time.

Without fanfare, without so much
saying a word, I have arrived:
these letters I am wearing
can speak much louder than words
ever could. No surprises here;
I'm just doing what I do
out of the goodness of my heart.

Today's Update

There is one thing
which I can be sure of
any time I represent
just one sorority
with heartfelt,
unsurpassed pride:
I cannot forget
where I came from,
never have forgotten
& never will.

I have always shown
my support without fail
& what love I show
is always unswerving,
unconditional.
But I still keep my roots
in mind:
I know where I came from,
have never forgotten
or disavowed my point of origin.

I have already found
my first love
so there's no need
to look any further
for love that is lasting
& timeless.
This much I cannot forget
as long as I live.

And I truly meant that too.

Favorite Song

Who's your favorite sorority?

Oh ya,
I didn't want to ask
all you duders
this simple question
but I did anyways.

Who are the classiest ladies
on campus?

Don't lie to me, man
- (lol) -
you could at least
be honest with me
just this once.

Who do you love
above all the others?

For once
tell me the honest truth:
who do you love
first & foremost
with all your hearts?

Who's your favorite sorority?

The Preview

On this night who knows how many folks
are going to be shown a world, a side of life
unlike any other:
'round here tonight is not only part of
the first full weekend on campus for most
but also the start of something greater,
a small glance into a much bigger picture.

This is only a preview,
an introduction of sorts about these letters
which we wear adamantly on our sleeves
& hearts;
the main event won't happen
for a few weeks or so.
This is our chance, while we're ahead,
to give others a rundown
on who we are, what we're about,
what we stand for:
all the values & ideals we strongly uphold
just as much as live out on a daily basis.

This is only the start
of something new, a chance to gaze
into a side of life which has remained unseen
until now: For the moment,
we're giving an outline about ourselves,
a sketch about why we wear these letters
vigorously & with heartfelt pride.

On this night
we've got a chance to let others know
about the joys this life which we're
living & leading
has to offer in spades.

For Stella: v.

"Of all the blessings we count over, it seems to me none is greater than the consciousness of belonging to a family of thousands of sisters." -Stella George Stern Perry


To this very day there is
no greater joy, no greater love
than this alone:
knowing that one has found
lifelong friendships right here,
bonds that cannot be fractioned.
Above all,
one has found a first love,
love that is lifelong -
not solely for four years alone.

In these letters, these bold colors
of cardinal & white one can
also find character & dignity
the likes of which
remain to be seen elsewhere;
one can also embrace
individuality, find a voice,
hear the call to serve
without any faltering in step.

For once
the heart has found its home,
its true calling & mission:

through you, your message,
your life's work & most of all
the very life you lived.

For Stella: iv.

Lifelong friendship:
this was one of who knows
how many aims
you promoted -
to this very day
these words would
still hold steadfast & true,
unblemished in their sincerity.

Not for four years alone
but for life:
you founded a sisterhood
with a honest mission in mind,
to continue the friendships
made in college
throughout one's lifetime.

Your purpose back then
all the way to the present
has not failed,
& has found the strength
to carry on
without limits or bounds.

For Stella: iii.

From the first day
you & three other women
brought this sisterhood
into being
you stayed true to your word,
lived up to four promises
which have found a way
to endure in the present time,
four promises
which have never lost their relevance
or power to motivate.

All along
you declared your commitment,
left a mark for a lifetime;
all along
you made history
with four promises to fulfill.

Your life
was the values you lived by
day after day, without ceasing;
your life was devoted
to continued learning,
staying the course in
one's pursuit for knowledge.

Your life
was all about answering
the beckoning call, the charge
which any leader should know
by heart;
your life was about
devotion to service
for the greater good of all.

Your life was all about
showing appreciation,
promoting integrity
in everything you did:
you lived up to your promises,
made yourself an example
for countless others to follow.

For Stella: ii.

For life:
one heart among many follows
this ensign
with unswerving devotion
& loyalty,
its commitment to such
great love keeping on
without a break.

Many hearts stand firm
in knowing that this promise
which you spoke highly of
is going to light the way
for greater joy
& success in the days,
the times ahead.

To this very day your words
still speak volumes,
more than one could ever know:
a simple devotion to some worthy end -
Such was your honesty,
believing in devotion to a worthy cause,
standing strong until last,
enduring in your very aims
& motives.

And now,
so many among your sisterhood
are echoing your words:
devoting their lives to a worthy cause,
following your lead
with unswerving step
& singleness of purpose.

For Stella: i.

One motto, one badge, one bond
and singleness of heart:
they were meant to be
for a lifetime,
an establishing of a connection
which will always endure.

Without pause, without break
& without fail,
your words proved that friendship
can be lifelong,
& with it all of its joys,
the fellowships created along the way.

To this very day your words
remain unshaken, relevant still
as one
holds fast to the beautiful.

Tomorrow Afternoon

With open arms, tomorrow will soon begin:
& with the introduction of a new day
one endless adventure after another
will ensue:
this much is for certain,
one can feel the electricity taking shape
in the air on campus -
this is the start of Recruitment Week,
from what some have been told.

This is time to speak words of hope,
encouragement, what confirms much love
& respect.
These words I speak will carry you
not only through a week's worth
of preparations, skits & other whatnot -
all of this well wishing
is meant for the good month
spent getting fired up for the main event.
While there's still today,
I'm going to speak these words.

How many men,
do you know (& can you say), have found
the heart, muster, strength
& confidence to say such things?
Only a chosen few have taken
the time, made the effort to do so
& even if it must come down to
one man & one man alone
speaking from his soul, out of
the goodness of his heart.

So I say these words to you,
to wish you well as you go on your way,
to offer up some encouragement
where it is most needed,
to help light your way as best I can,
to brighten each day of yours
as you embark on a journey
which is unlike any other taking place
this autumn.

Tomorrow will soon begin
& with the start of a new day a call
will resound across campus:
Fire up!! Fire up!!

Right Here

The beckoning call has arrived
sooner than I thought it would:
It's now time to answer,
to follow where it is leading -

right here,
in the midst of this colorful crowd
of wonderful ladies.
It's time to set off to where

all the action is
& what better place to be
than right here,
what better time than now -

just to lend my support & love
where it is rightfully due.
Beckoning calls like these
need to be heard more often

& I'm one of the select few
who took the time out of his day
to make it over here,
to respond to the message

a call of this magnitude always sends.
Once more I am at home
close to those I love the most,
right here where the action is.

And the start of something greater
is about to begin...