Strange Days In Need of Integrity
by Michael Doyle

Looking at the strange days of indignity,
It seems we need to find our integrity. 
In the toss of deception and sin, 
We wonder if we'll find a way out again. 

Something is awry in the cultural script, 
And somehow, truth for a lie has flipped. 
True character requires that we make reference
To the best of ourselves in astute preference.

The moral sense of mankind requires nurture,
However much it is part and parcel of our nature.
We are to live with astute honor and excellence
This gives our society its sense of benevolence.

Courage will create a path for our children's destiny,
Making them wise enough to bravely embrace history.
There is a power in our heroes and their grand story.
It is a power that allows us to live for our glory.

We must not sell our souls in full capitulation
But must strive to do right in every situation. 
We must never collaborate with the knowingly wrong,
But instead, we must live to be free and remain strong.

The moral sense of mankind requires nurture,
However much it is part and parcel of our nature.
We are to live with astute honor and excellence
This gives our society its sense of benevolence.

Good character is built on a base of integrity.
It's the wholeness that completes our identity. 
Synthesized our virtues become our needed whole,
And from this, we gain nourishment for our souls.

Reason, desire, and spirit are more than allegory.
Habituation and practice become each category.
And through these, we reach our highest human good.
At least, that's what the philosophers understood.

The moral sense of mankind requires nurture,
However much it is part and parcel of our nature.
We are to live with astute honor and excellence
This gives our society its sense of benevolence.

In the turning world, we find ourselves by chance
Forming the points of the world in its long dance.
Rectitude has always been a grace well-respected
And is the one measure of character to be affected

No matter what else there is to come our way
If we are to know we've lived well, our best day.
Private character becomes public with dignity,
It is always best to live life with integrity.

The moral sense of mankind requires nurture,
However much it is part and parcel of our nature.
We are to live with astute honor and excellence
This gives our society its sense of benevolence.

(c) August 20, 2025  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved