Monthly Archives: November 2021

Faith and Compassion

One hundred days of violence
thousands slain at the feet of their lord
they prayed to something behind the guns and swords,
                                                                     but
faith kills compassion

Had they been willing
to embrace their community
they could have avoided this reality,
                                                            but
compassion kills faith

And dogma takes precedence
when Hitler targeted the Jewish people
he did so with high praise from the sovereign cathedral
                                                  because
faith kills compassion

But many ignored the laws of man
forsook the appeal of their gods
turned their back on the good book,
                                                       because
compassion kills faith

Still today disciples call for burnings
for differences of skin, love and opinion
as if their hate claims sole dominion,
                                                     surely
faith kills compassion

We must take care
to remove this weed by the roots
lest it throttle our garden
                                    surely
compassion kills faith.

Throttled

The hand is shaped for our control
to grasp the world by its soul
subdue the earth from pole to pole
take from it that which we extol

Night weeps o’er the work of day
the flora and the fauna we slay
all the minerals and gasses
the blood and sweat of its masses

This is how we found the world tamed
how we reconceived its intent
found new ways for it to be framed
and took from it without consent

Should we ever deign to let go
wrench our hands from the throat of life
let it grow beyond what we know
all will be led to relief

The harder you wield existence
the more it fights back
release the grip
let it thrive in rococo

A life unfettered
knows no bounds
It makes space
for wherever it may go

Though it may overwhelm

It will carry you to fantastic places

As long as you don’t hold it down

Implode

I’ve had enough of me
the dreams that once would get me through
have drifted away and bent askew
floating past their apogee
I’ve had enough of me

The joy I had was misconstrued
and there is nothing left I want to do
I’ve seen all I want to see
I’ve had enough of me

Trapped in a puzzle room without a clue
forgetting more and more of what I knew
I just wish I could be free
I’ve had enough of me

The loneliness inside I can’t subdue
the stable moments are so few
all that’s left is debris
I’ve had enough of me

2 Minute Notice

Ever screaming towards a distant point unseen
the whole of everything is barreling past
who could have known the world would move so fast
the rushing air and tears pulled by the slip stream
at a speed that makes the journey seem obscene
Clearly the moment to stop has long since passed
but an ending is coming – this cannot last
a sad finality one could have foreseen.
The destination approaching is a dream
lost inside a memory one can’t recall
but in its approach one can feel it defined
though the path may have a conclusion it seems
the journey was laid in cold repose at the fall
when from thirty stories up I chose to resign.

Correspondence

Letters were written and sent
left lounging in boxes
collecting dust but never collected
the recipients were all dead

But somewhere a machine toiled
to author heart felt compliments
that would graciously be ignored
and eternally unread

The stationary carefully selected
personalities matched with texture
habits assigned a color
but no one to read what they said

“We’ve heard and grieve your lament
but still, human life must be rejected.