Spectator

I understand the youth.
They did not come before me.
They act, though, as if their self-assured sensory knowledge
Pre-dates Wisdom Itself. It doesn’t.

I understand the youth have causes:
The grass must be greener in their eco-system where
No man is an island and everything is socialized.
“Coexist.”
“Feed the hungry.”
“Help the downcast.”
“Smash the system, recycle the vision.”
The banners over these foot soldiers are “Revolution” and
“Change is Progress” and “Progress is Change”-
The currency of youth unfurled.

I understand the youth as I watch them march in earnest.
The future began long ago.

© Sally Paradise, 2011, All Rights Reserved

The Trajectory of Jared Lee Loughner

When I see this man,
His face a gun pointed,
Pointed at me,
I feel the point of impact:
Blood drains;
Ice cold fear is pumped to the exit wound.

When I see this man,
Bullet eyes formed into casings,
Finger twitching between good and evil,
Schizophrenic, delusional, chasm born,
I see him no longer seeing me.
Devoid of me, the other,
The visage of reality is destroyed at gunpoint.

© Sally Paradise, 2011, All Rights Reserved

Brokeback Valley

 

******************

“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.” Dorothy L. Sayers

******************

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus

******************

THOU hast made me, and shall Thy work decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste;
I run to death, and Death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday.
I dare not move my dim eyes any way;
Despair behind, and Death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feeble flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it towards hell doth weigh.
Only Thou art above, and when towards Thee
By Thy leave I can look, I rise again;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me,
That not one hour myself I can sustain.
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart

John Donne, The Holy Sonnets I.

William H. Johnson

Mount Calvary by Wiiliam H. Johson, 1944

(The bright coloring used in the painting reveals the promise of the resurrection.)

*******

Holy Sonnet XI: Spit In My Face You Jews, And Pierce My Side by John Donne

Spit in my face you Jews, and pierce my side,
Buffet, and scoff, scourge, and crucify me,
For I have sinned, and sinned, and only he
Who could do no iniquity hath died:
But by my death can not be satisfied
My sins, which pass the Jews’ impiety:
They killed once an inglorious man, but I
Crucify him daily, being now glorified.
Oh let me, then, his strange love still admire:
Kings pardon, but he bore our punishment.
And Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire
But to supplant, and with gainful intent:
God clothed himself in vile man’s flesh, that so
He might be weak enough to suffer woe.

O Holy Flight (From Christmas)

(A postmodern Christmas)

Christmas Eve:

Over the waiting and through the body scanner,

To grandmother’s house we go…

The TSA knows the way,

To handle …your package.

“Underwear bombers move to the end of the line, please!”

  ***

Yuletide carols being sung by a secular choir;

Female pop singers whining down another year,

Music streaming, reprogramming.

***

Broke, Flat-out busted, Best Buy-ed,

Macy, Macyier, Macyest,

Amassed among the Amazon-ed.

***

Fizz the season, too, by golly:

“Plop, Plop. Fizz. Fizz.

O, what a relief it is!”

 ***

Sprigs of Hollywood and Vine dance while

Visions of HD sugar plums fairies

Tug remotely at

Lazy Boys

Churning.

***

Egg nog, glug and figgy pudding?

G-G-Ghosts of Christmas gastronomy.

***

Superstore angels bring good tidings of great joy:

Black Friday is the new White Christmas!

***

Down the chimney,

“Ho, Ho, Ho,”

Global Warming comes,

Inconveniently,

Melting away minutes of our snow covered evening.

Bah, Humbug you opportunistic

Scrooge of a scourge.

“I’ll cap and trade your ass!”

***  

Up on the housetop reindeer pause…

Carbon footprints in the snow! Oh, no!

Update:  Reindeer games beginning 10:00 EST.

***

Santa, “APPROVED”,

Baby Jesus, ACLU’d.

Nativity Receptivity?

It takes a village to raze a Christ Child.

*****
Marquee lights announce the second coming of Black Friday.

Electrified houses boast of more watts per square inch.

Tree lights twinkle when tickled by boughs

Glowing snowmen bobbing, bobbing slow men glowing

White blinking lights, sentinels flanking our windows,

Warn us of Christmas!

****

© Sally Paradise, 2010, All Rights Reserved