The Judge

In memory of The Honorable Anthony Barbiero (4/25/1915 - 12/21/1983)

A hurricane on honeymoon,
with a love so big it broke your heart,
his laughter seared, his fury burned
a brand that had no counterpart.
His joy was yours, if you were game.
His tears were there for all to see
without a thought of being contained,
no matter born of joy or grief.

The bard, the clown, the sage, the wit;
these robes he freely interchanged
to suit the moment, seize the bit
of Time, lest he be left short-changed.
And we, his progeny, are blessed
along with many whom he touched
in life with gritty tenderness,
and to whom he revealed so much:

commissioners and senators,
the “backstretch” groom from Mexico
who woke at four to feed a horse,
then worked until the sun was low,
the baker, grocer, firemen
he represented, sometimes judged,
the injured worker on the mend
for whom the law could not be fudged.
		
These and more all showed their faces
when his work on earth was done,
free of whiffletree or traces
for the course he loved to run.
No presence on the internet,
he lives only in memories
of children, grandchildren and yet...,
somehow, he’s still right here with me.