A TOUCH OF FIRE

He stands alone
Encompassed in black
Hints of red
Energize the darkness
The story begins
with a single movement
Two arms reach out
Tension in a gesture
In every beat
each rhythm
is a new revelation
Tenderness is
in the glance
Release is
within his power
Footsteps gain urgency
Becoming a plea
for survival
Falling
one hand extended
A little death
He rises again
to triumph
to challenge
Fate

(This one is about his JFK performance)

AN ALL-AMERICAN BOY

As a child living in Dallas
you witnessed the aftermath
of the death of JFK
As a comprehending adult
you chose to create a tribute
on the theater of ice
A clear mirror
Poignancy and emotion present
from the first backward glide
Spirals meld together
the line is elegance itself
As you reach upward
hands cradle an absent friend
With an air of noble regard
Edgy leaps and taut spins
equal tension and turmoil
of this moment in history
Defiance of nature
in the supreme balance
of a brilliant spread eagle
Arms form a circle
representing a world vision
Now we are part of
a note of longing
Just as a young boy saw
almost a lifetime ago
We remember your gesture
tears behind the stoic reserve
A final salute
to an American leader's spirit
A haunting farewell
We are left with your vision
of innocence lost
Dignity present in your eyes
A reflection of courage
is mirrored in your tears
A luminous portrait
of a time gone by
and the limitless potential
of a future to come
The child
becomes a man

(This one is about Paul's 1992 Olympic free-skate; Henry V)

VISIONS OF AN ARTIST

A surface unlike any other
Mirror-smooth and clear
yet dangerous
If one underestimates it
Here is one who forms
with it a lasting bond
Wordless communication
between a force of nature
and of man
A final element
completes the picture
He blends into one
with the elements
Breathtaking jumps
Innovative interpretation
mesmerizing viewers
with elegance and poise
They are being given
a special gift
to be part of his circle
for a single moment
A figure skater's world
the final element is music
the surface is ice
Earning a physical prize
yet what the world saw
was a glimpse of the joy
within the human heart
We will not forget his gift
We will remember
this vision