My crossing over from Greenpoint into the city Every day was had via subway and was not pretty And it was different for a Californian man Yet, there was no other way into Manhattan
At least, not that made any kind of particular sense Waking up that first day at dawn and without pretense I began a pattern of photographing from morning until night Starting with the crack of the morning's earliest light
Somehow, I managed to photograph NYC's every borough I was following the guidebooks until I got to know New York City well enough that the locals would ask How to get to some places best, and what was my daily task
Though I have to admit, I remember a danceable anxiety In learning the transit system in all of its complexity And some walks seemed to go on forever at that time But these mistakes let me discover moments of the sublime
Of all the cities, one finds the best food after midnight Guided as I was by the city's buzz and amazing neon lights Fruit stuffed breast of duck at 2 am and for under six And a nature reserve or two hidden in the city's sticks
I told myself I was there to visit a friend in the hospital And I did that, but the city was inviting and hospitable I made the most of it that I could, even riding the ferry Instead of unfriendliness, I made friends to the contrary
Finding that The Bronx Zoo and Central Park were just two Of the sights that brought perspective and gave a view That held memories like horse-drawn carriages to ride And the joy of finding open hearts to which I did confide
The joy of crossing over from Greenpoint to St. John's morning There were points like Little Odessa that bore its warning But Coney Island and its hot dogs were a Sunday sort of treat And did I mention the warm-hearted people I managed to meet?
And maybe it is true that remembering can find a way to lie But looking back, I do not even begin to question as to why Some of these memories of wandering will always be a treat And did I mention the warm-hearted people I managed to meet?
(c) December 16, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“Whoever it was who searched the heavens with a telescope and found no God would not have found the human mind if he had searched the brain with a microscope.” – George Santayana
“If there is a form of government, then, whose principle and foundation is virtue, will not every sober man acknowledge it better calculated to promote the general happiness than any other form?” – John Adams (1776)
Just learning, I managed my doubts Finding out what God's all about There was so much to take in When I was looking to escape my sins
Of all the miracles, like the virgin birth It challenges most for what it's worth Still, it was self-righteous Pharisees And other religious hypocrites like the Sadducees
The disciples watched what Jesus did Then, emulated this, keeping nothing hid Feeding the 5000 bread and fish one day We learned that no one else does this this way
Miracles out of nowhere led to progress They reveal themselves necessary to pass life's tests Resurrection necessarily links in Christ's incarnation In all, this is a new life for the Christian nation
Received in faith, we unite with God's trust Being reliable and reachable as they must Searching the margins for the risks to undertake All for the good of God's holy sake
Acts of God require some plausibility Found in the holiest of supernatural possibility Faith is never a kind of blind leap It's more a matter of promises meant to keep
Faith is not a genie released with a blank check Or an invitation to make a life into a wreck But faith is always our best, first and last choice It's that last celestial spark that follows God's voice
The Bible is not just pastoral words of inspiration But when heard, it is the true story of creation Whispered in echoes of blessed bits of truth That we hold close to our hearts from our youth
There's an abundant sharing of outward grace When humanity is cleansed through God's embrace All of us are damned with and through accidental intent Until we are saved through the grace of Christ-sent
Sinless and yet with us, Jesus lived and walked Among us, as in His example, He taught and talked It was in a virgin birth that he was conceived Then, He taught us the theology that we received
Announced to His people and to His nation Were the doings of our merciful salvation All of this coming for our own higher good It is the faith of Christ best understood
(c) December 15, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:13-14
Tonight, under the rise of the Cold Moon I realize another year has passed too soon And still, old truths bear the necessity Of being repeated with some incredulity
Daily chaos brings particles of light That refract under the strains of the night Oftentimes, the shards of derelict creation Shatter on the limits of our damnation
We, the children of our shining sun The third planet away and then done We must speak our truths vigorously Carrying on with our passions fearlessly
Here, in slow homage to the faceless dead Those who carry on as ghosts in our heads Remind us that we are not precision clocks Nor are we necessarily meant to be orthodox
There is nothing selfish about honesty Instead, it is to give all to live in integrity The heretic knows the necessity of individualism To believe tyranny brings freedom takes an optimism
That far exceeds that which my mind can hold Known facts cannot be suppressed but must be told We must fight against the fog of lies and misinformation If we are to have the best for our beloved nations
(c) December 14, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“War is not the best engine for us to resort to; nature has given us one in our commerce, which if properly managed, will be a better instrument for obliging the interested nations of Europe to treat us with justice.” – Thomas Jefferson (1797)
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” – Naguib Mahfouz, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1911-2006)
In memory of Queen Lili‘uokalani I declare this is not a true victory When back in the year of 1893 The United States overthrew her monarchy
Despite the wrongness of things done She did not choose the white man's guns But instead, seeing the sins of man She chose to forgive as a true heart can
This is the cleansing way, and it is clearer That independence is more significant and dearer Most see these islands as a tourist destination But freedom does not depend on a person's station
This is a notion that has not lost its charm this day The struggle for a free Hawai'i will not go away A valid case can be made for constitutional sovereignty And for the leadership that has true, factual authority
The voices of the people speak not of militancy But as with the voices of God and with quiet dignity God keeps His promises and restores rightful homes Dennis Kanahele and his people do not walk this alone
The Aboriginal nation never legally ceased to exist As a native community, it still manages to persist Kānaka Maoli were not granted a single reservation But make no mistake, they are a people and a nation
It has been a path in America's troubled journey President McKinley decided that Manifest Destiny Super-ceded the Hawaiian people's self-determination Undermining Kanaka Maoli for the good of the nation
This is a story not just about freedom but about being alive And the will of a Native people to do more than survive If only federal recognition could become legislation Hawaiian people would become the largest tribe in the nation
This, then, would give a path forward in this hour If these native people are to ever gain any real power The people need homes and cannot live in an apology This is a battle for hope fought by a people living in poverty
(c) December 13, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Heading out of Australia to escape this Aussie winter. First stop Japan, then UK/Ireland and if work doesn't call me back, onto Chicago. I will make it up as I go along
