Culture

. The Prestige of the Puppet-Master To be deceived must bring some satisfaction, For all are well aware of the illusion Yet most will play the dupe quite willingly; Indeed, they’ll pay good coin for cheap...

. Time For Some Gardening It was time for some gardening. He heard a train go by. Its distant airhorn sighed. There were no clouds up in the sky. He trimmed the grass beside the craggy boulders at the edge. He...

. Consequences of Following Advice Advice can come in snappy lines __That have a fun refrain: “Let a smile be your umbrella,” __Though that won’t block cold rain. They tell us that “To err is...

. Not the Same Thing Anymore Of most who go to school these days __It sadly must be stated, No longer can they be appraised __As being educated. . . Kids’ Most Common Mistake The most common...

. Three Things Alexander Knew “What can you tell me that deserves such excitement, except perhaps that Homer has come back to life?” ---Alexander the Great He conquered the world And it was too small....

. Political The culture tells us every day that we can’t be political, so Christians nod and meekly pray, but if we’re analytical, when governments stray into what is truly theological, then we should tell...

. On the Death of Mike Lynch, August 19, 2024 They say his blood was Irish, with his toothy Gaelic smile. A master of the cyberworld, with features to beguile. A genius of mathematics, powerful and strong. He...

. The Ram's Horn "A great horn shall be blown, and they that were lost shall come from the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts from the land of Egypt, and they shall adore the Lord at the holy mount...

. To Speak Unique From youth we have been urged to stay unique. For boxed-in meetings, we must always be The ones outside the box, must always speak On obscure points. The price of novelty? Discussing common...

. What Mother Goose Neglected to Mention . A Soup Spoon Reflects upon His Past So the dish ran away with the spoon, we were told, __And he treated her well, bless his soul, But he realized, when he was...

. Public Benches Lusty men and randy wenches Making out on public benches Used to be a common sight In afternoon or moonlit night, And single people envied, looking Longingly at two mouths hooking, Fully...

. Downtown Like an iron maze, Clustered close, towers rise, Caging the very sky. Casting their cold gaze Through myriad glazed eyes Apathetically. Beneath, the streets swell With jostling crowds of...

. Aphrodisiac I. It was past midnight when we met and spoke One rainswept winter Friday. The wet street Stood empty save for us (that clinched the deal). God knows she was no beauty: unkempt, thin, A...

. Let Them Go Children born around the world __some fifty years ago were free to roam and run and hide, __to ramble high and low. The bigger people stayed inside __and never really knew how far the little...

. The Chief Baker Responds to Joseph "And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and...

. I Love My Paranoia I love my paranoia That no one else can see. It’s like a loving shadow Surely protecting me. Some say it's a sixth sense, Or liability. Some claim I should release it Because it’d set...

. Something in the Water The swimmer had removed her clothes, __Then turned and gave a wail, For in the dressing room there was __A biologic male. Man’s voice, broad shoulders, 6 foot 4, __With men he could...

. Take Me Out to the Ball Game The game of baseball’s changed since I was younger, Back when the Giants played at Candlestick. A hot dog in my hand helped quench my hunger; The left-field stands were cheap,...

. Of Windows and Lawns "I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn." —Kamala Harris There was a theory that a single broken Window wasn’t a big deal. But Too many broken...

. Follow the Miracle A random head-turn? Vector wind deflection? Or was it truly heavenly protection? His head came close to being torn asunder Yet he survived! I have to wonder If Trump was saved by divine...

. Viracocha Viracocha made the world, __He made it in a day. A day in Viracocha’s life __Would leave you old and gray, So when he’d finished making it __He must sit down and play. Viracocha made the...

. Kristallnacht---The Night of Broken Glass I tell my son he must not make a sound. I whisper, “Karl, this attic is our haven. Don’t cry! Don’t let the brown shirts know we’re here!” Alfrida’s...

. When Your Foe Is Perilously Strong When your foe is perilously strong It mightn’t be too preposterous or wrong To let him think that you’re a friend of his. If you’re a minority and somewhat...

. There Are Masters and Then There Are Masters The moth’s desire for muzziness of moon Looms large in some men’s minds.  They seem to think That muddled paradox, that Indian rune Philosophy, is fine...

. Flora's England The hedgerows droop with bulbous berries black As feathers of the Raven in the sun Of August, glowing hot upon his back. He soars above the corn, its growing done. While Lammas songs are sung...

. A Prayer in Three Quatrains Too well I know, I am a son of error; Too well I know the weakness of my frame. Yet still I plead, Lord, save me from this terror; And of Thy mercy, blot out all my shame. A...

. Crystal Spires or Lake of Fire? The day shall come. For some, just like a thief That sneaks unknown. An accident and grief. __Our flesh and spirit sever. For many souls, slow as a morphine drip Their life...

. Nehemiah Questions Robert Frost About Walls “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” ---Robert Frost, “Mending Wall” “Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burnt with fire. Come and let...

. Empty Words There was a time not long agoWhen insults led to deadly duels.Today, on streaming videoI saw men call each other fools. And women did the same, and worse,Forsaking wit and eloquenceWith every...

. Cicada Serenade Boys hang their beat on the heat of the summer. Sticky days twang with their thick, tinny ring. Banshee crescendos and thrums from each drummer Shiver mesquites where the mockingbirds...

. Dante in Modern Times If I were Dante, and the quest were mine To reprise chapters of his Comedie For modern times, perhaps no less Divine For being steeped in modern tragedie, I’d start with Hell, where...

. The High Priest's Homily Once Man, in thrall to ignorance, believed the world was round, But now we know that everything is one vast sea of sound, __And what seemed solid ground Is but an anxious emptiness,...

. Circling In It’s time (I tell myself) we circled in;Gave up at last the overwrought concernThat pulls us this-way-that till we begin To lose the human power to discernWhat truly holds and what has little...

. For All Who Labor by Christine de Pisan (1364-c. 1430) Lady, fair branch where God’s grace blooms,Our labors, Saint Bernard assumes,Are benefited by your taskTo help those who ply hoes or broomsWhen night...

. Married to the Mob He’s going out again today. What for? His hundredth chance to settle some old score? “Damn this! Screw that! Free cash! Free hash! More war!” It seems some things just never change,...

. Wisdom of Reagan: Government Waste “Government is like a baby: with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.”  ---Ronald “The Gipper” Reagan The Gipper knew a thing or...

. Ode to the Zeer Across the Sahel states, the humble zeer, A pear-shaped or full-bellied earthen pot Strains muddy water, turns it cool and clear Beneath a tree or other shady spot. Constructed from alluvium...

. Oversimplification What so many people tend to say or write, Reduces complex issues of today, To merely simple packages of black or white, Oblivious to present shades of grey. . . A Permanent New Season I...

. The First Fallen Leaf A single leaf begins to fall. He wants to be the first of all. His brethren strain to join his fun. For now he’s still the only one. He floats and sways inside the breeze, but,...

. August Foraging “It’s hot, it’s dry. No fun outdoors; No fungi, flowers, foliage, fruit For us to eat where Nature stores Wild food. The month is destitute.” Now, novice, look about you. Woodland...