O Eire

O Eire,

who could taste your sweetness

and not cry out for more,

who could stand upon your

mighty cliffs,

or walk the banks of

the river Shannon

and not feel your

mystical magic?

Your hills

breathe with life,

so young and fresh,

yet with a wisdom

so ancient and old.

O Eire,

even the mightiest invader

is overwhelmed

by the power of your charm,

succumbing not to your sword

but to your spirit,

you take not their lives,

rather you take their souls,

making them prisoners

to that which they had come

to imprison;

O Eire.

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W. B. Yeats

Welcome old friend,

come in from the cold

and rest awhile,

I recognize your voice,

it is one I have heard

many times before,

the accent was

a little different then,

but still it is the same.

We have talked often

you and I,

during that soft

and painful transition,

as I tried to hold on

to the dark and dying night,

and you patiently waited

for the pale morning dawn,

you must tell me old friend,

have you found that precious

light of a new day,

for which you waited

and searched

for so long?

ah well;

nor could I

hang onto the darkness,

but what difference

does it make?

it is in the trying

that matters most,

you and I

were never born

to live in the black

or the white;

it is the cracks in between

where we belong.

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Commodities

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

Luke 12:2-3

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,  full of deadly poison.

James 3:7-8 

Pride blinds the eyes of those it fills,

creating illusions and deceptions,

turning brother against brother,

sister against sister,

breaking friendships and bonds,

destroying everything in its path;

words spoken in the darkness

find their way into the light.

You choose your relationships

and friendships like commodities,

something to hold on too

when they are useful

and serve a purpose,

something to toss out

like the morning trash

when the usefulness and purpose

are gone.

We are all filthy rags,

we have all fallen short,

eventually we all fail,

no matter how many

positive thoughts we fill our minds with,

no matter what fantasies

we choose to live in,

no matter how much knowledge

we think we know,

no matter what bold words

our tongues spew forth;

in the end

truth is all that survives.

up here

up here,

all your wealth and prestige

don’t mean a thing,

all your well-tanned, good looks,

all your Armani suits and Rolex watches,

all your Rolls Royce’s and BMW’s,

all your witty, funny stories,

all your holier than thou piety,

all your false humility

and self-serving righteousness;

mean nothing at all.

up here,

there is no right or wrong,

no innocence or guilt,

no judgment or blame,

up here it is do or die,

fight or flight,

kill or be killed,

up here dead men

tell tall tales,

up here bullshit walks

and survival talks.

I have been to this edge,

I have seen the emptiness below,

I have gazed into the darkness beyond,

through it all You were there,

through it all You were by my side;

up here,

there is nothing

without You.

.

.

More Than I Deserve

She’s more than I deserve,

better than I could ever hope for,

a companion through times both

good and bad,

a friend until the end,

standing by my side

when no one else will,

a sounding board

for the madness,

a shelter from the wind,

a sexual fantasy,

a warm summer’s dream,

riding out the storm

in Calera, Alabama,

surviving the threats

of a dark future,

always there,

overcoming fears and barriers

to be by my side;

more than I deserve.

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Not Even a Sparrow

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.                                       Luke 12:6-7

In the morning

Your voice softly speaks,

telling me not to fear,

bringing peace

to my troubled mind,

removing the chaos and confusion,

lighting up the darkness,

proving that You are real,

reminding me that You see

everything I do,

that not even a sparrow falls

without Your knowledge,

and that I am worth more

than many sparrows;

thank you Lord.

Help me overcome

the spiritual darkness,

help me remember

that the arrogance and hypocrisy

of others will pass,

help me turn the other cheek

when I am attacked,

silence my lips before they utter

foolish words of vanity and evil,

teach me to control this flesh

seeking only self-fulfillment

and self-preservation,

remove anything

that is not of You,

let others see You through me;

let me be a son

of the living God.

.

.

without You there is nothing

here within the silence

of nighttime shadows

lie unexplored depths,

mountains ready to climb,

dreams worth dreaming,

unspoken words

waiting for discovery;

without You

there is nothing;

for everything there is a price,

unseen costs and unknown tolls,

untold suffering and unspeakable sacrifice,

invisible lines and barriers without relief,

fantasies beyond the realm of possibility,

more than we can comprehend,

symptoms of the fear,

part of the process,

payment for services rendered;

without You

there is nothing;

trapped within the truth,

hiding among the enemy,

running from the end,

searching for secret sanctuaries,

they can take it all,

they can strip the clothes

from your back,

but they can never take this,

they can never take You,

so much lost,

so much forgotten,

so much unknown,

so much farther to go;

without You

there is nothing.

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