The faith in tomorrow's sun
does brighten as much as the
Present does and like memory
Does make sepia prints of the
Days gone by;  even of darkest
Times no others really know-
Am ashamed to acknowledge
Where weakness hides and
Says to Death it is cruel of you
Not to make it quick and so
I am waiting still for Now to
Pass as slow darkness comes

...and of all of life the most enduring
Is that I dared not love but could have
Loved had I seized the passing time.
Yet there is this Love has it's seasons.
The Spring that promises it's sweetest
Treasure is to come; Summer the bud
In bloom; Autumn when the harvest
Is Gathered while the rose and golden
Leaves flutter down; Winter the end
Time come with it's simple hope pure
As snow that another time will come
In sleep, a dream of all born again in
Innocence to love in the coming of the
Light; our youth still more glorious
We will wake up in our dreams and
Be fearless in our love then for that
Better time to come I will regret not
The Sweet sorrows of these partings
For without such there would be no
Youth nor any youth to return to.



For My Mother who would have me remember old blue eyes
His and hers and mine

He who is deprived of water will
Drink from the pig's trough and
Give thanks.  The same is true of
Love-make it scarce then where-
Ever it is found it will be taken- in
Rags or harlots dress it will be
Blessed, counted as God's truest
Charity.  It is in our nature to seek
The life in the water we thirst for it
To take love where it can be found
Be not overly pious about your high
Standards of purity such is not for
God' children we who are hungry-
Thirsty now do believe there are
Angels in disguise for Love's sake
Is it our place to question Charity
Saying I am too good for this?
Love is not ours because it loves
The perfect but that it must love
Even us. Gather ye rose buds while
Ye may that you know that love
Even your love makes perfect the
Eye that sees  and what it beholds.
For those hungry for love know it
Is true: hunger makes good sauce
In the desert all water is holy water
Pray God that you may know this
By Faith and not require the proof.
But in the end it will make not a bit
Of difference for Love conquers all.

I have not peace with death
Though it may be the peace
I do not now know will come
But to live shunned by love-
What sort of life is that-It is
War and a divided house can
Not stand-One side is for the
Union the for the other against
Love divided is not Love but if
For Love I stand I must also go
To war and cannot agree to die
Whilst yet we are divided my
Love.  Love is not Love that is
Not whole.  Love is One. As a
Nation so unto each of us- Love
Conquers all even death-  To
Death I say it is not with you
I have an argument-  For all
I know I might have come to
You sooner but for the War
For the sake of Love I had
To press on;  For Love is not
Love that would not be as
One   Let the war be over
Then Lord, I will know that
Love everlasting is the end
For which we fought and died
Won for all the ages to come
Come! With Charity for All
And malice towards none.  



For Abraham

There is a Land of Magic
A bold fingger points the
Way as if to a solid place
You can travel.  But it is to
The -unbelieveable.-you are
Beckoned and the truths are-
That are iconic- that are in
Hollywood revevisited are.
But the signs that you must
Seek are something stranger
More inexplicable that is
The self you do not know
Yet I say: This is not it but...
It is a greater mystery still.

Why believe?  The enemy is real
So real that is come to slay you-
Death so close you can taste it-
Like there is no tomorrow and
Strange flames lick like fear at
The door of your soul then you
Still may know this: It is not.
Has no place inn your heart
But comes to you like an alien
Invader to claim your Earth- a
Portal opened from an evil eye
That says I can make you leave
All you love-take all you love
Away from you. I am King of
Of Make Believe and your true
Ruler.  Then I hear myself cry:
Truth!  Truth!  Wake me up it
Is you I love.  Oh Lord Help!
Then I heard Him say: Lift-
Lift up your Heart and Live

There are many beautiful things here
On earth.  Places and persons we may
Visit, never going far from home.  It
Is our choice.  In nature there are what
Is called  "Acts of God"that we have no
Choice about but must get thru them
As best we can.  But for much of life
We go to places we would not by an
Act of choice.  To be fair there are to
Be sure reasons: to prepare against an
Evil foreseen; to learn from- so to avoid
A next time.  We go to war to defend
The peace-afraid to do otherwise would
Be cowardly and invite aggression. There
Is no end of rationales for our sorties near
To the bad place we would not go-whole
Segment of our society and many of our
"Finest"have it in their job description,
Are duty bind to look deeply into hell.
Is there something wrong with this?
Almost certainly.  Should we rather be
Like ostriches burying our heads in
The sand.  Be liked the three monkeys
That see no evil; hear no evil; speak no
Evil.  We should at least be allowed to
Doubt bad news-Knowing Satan is a
Liar.  We should doubt the benefit of
Being warned about evil as it so often
Lead to self fulfilling prophecies and
Errors of judgement repugnant to our
Conscience.  It is a morass.  A world we
Would not and it is all too much for us.
Our world is not as we would have it.  If
It is the truth we say unto our God: Let it
Not be so.   I give up; it is up to you to make
It better.  For my part let me do my best
To contemplate your Grandeur-Oh and
Thank you God for all the dappled things.



Acknowledging my debt to Gerard Manley.
Hopkins and his two famous poems