“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, / I know that is poetry.” -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886)
Flickr Photos
Thought For the Day: If I Read A Book and It Makes My Whole Body So Cold No Fire Can Ever Warm Me,/I Know That Is Poetry
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Book, Cold, Emily Dickinson, Fire, Poetry, Read, Thought For the Day, Warm, Whole Body
Leave a comment
Searching For Truth (On A Yellow Brick Road)
Searching For Truth (On A Yellow Brick Road)
by Michael Doyle
Searchers after truth seek hidden meanings
On whatever road traveled as human beings
Thoughts and actions shape the emotions
Stuffed within a wicker basket of devotion
When looked at properly and with interpretation
There is so much to be learned from representation
As a soul travels through life's broad roads
Encountering the lessons we are often told
Even when we are not entirely in the mood to hear
Wrapped up as we are in the concerns and fears
That too often stops us developing all we can be
From the self-affliction of our own worst tyranny
We are best off when we allow ourselves to dream
Going against the self-restrictions that always seem
To get in our way from accepting ourselves and friends
Pushing on down the wrong roads that warn of our ends
On our personal yellow brick sort of endless road
It's best to accept our friends as life has flowed
Into the unknown adventures that we might fall
Accepting ourselves and others, quirks and all
In life, we must follow our own yellow brick road
Regardless of any other sort of path others have showed
Because only our own can we resolve our own mystery
The path of life is only found through self-discovery
None of us has magical powers or necessary voices
That boom, but what we are is beings with choices
It is best to decide who we are and who we're not
Because the people who love us love us no matter what
There's no place to return to quite like home
Wherever we live, we are loved and never alone
Whatever our doubts, we must seek our answers within
We are more powerful than we think, and every now and then
We must allow ourselves to dream of possibilities
Of shaping our greatest dreams into our realities
Keeping our ruby slippers and never running away
We must stand firm whatever our fears might say
Whatever comes our way, we must make it turn out good
Knowing that solutions are under our noses if understood
It is the truth of the matter that must be said
All the wisdom needed is in our hearts and in our heads
(c) December 9, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
First Principles: I Wish To Be Useful, and Every Kind of Service Necessary For the Public Good, Becomes Honorable By Being Necessary
“I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, becomes honorable by being necessary.” – Nathan Hale (1776)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Expectation, First Principles, Honor, Influenced, Nathan Hale, Necessary, Pecuniary Reward, Promotion, Public Good, Service, Useful, Wish
Leave a comment
Thought For the Day: The Real Index of Civilization Is When People Are Kinder Than They Need To Be
“The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be.” – Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Civilization, Index, Kind, Louis de Bernieres, Need, People, Real, Thought For the Day
Leave a comment
Like A Dickens Ghost
Like A Dickens Ghost
by Michael Doyle
A distant streetlight offers illumination
A secret peek inside a dreamer's imagination
Suddenly, the curtain is pulled aside
And you can see inside where the demons hide
Funny as it is as to what each day brings
As we chase pipers piping about golden rings
Life comes at us in 3D and highly interactive
While we do our best to keep our hearts attractive
Doing our best to keep things a touch of real
Knowing that each moment has its own feel
It seems that elves fight a little dirty
Even when mischievously being flirty
Angels don't fall from Heaven without a price
And you can't count on anyone to always play nice
All those figures of speech aren't always heaven-sent
Sometimes it comes down to the spiced intent
Tragic destinations magically crawl in late
But some things are meant and worth the wait
Hiding from the sting of the gifts of Christmases past
The whispers of Dickens carry the tune at last
Calling birds seem to have and ring up your number
As the tiredness presses you into your slumbers
You need to be more the fighter and less the lover
When nothing in life spins into play to cover
The mistakes made along the way as you keep on living
Taking the good and bad of those days life is giving
It sometimes seems you have done all you know to do
And still, you need more hours in a day that offers too few
Isn't it funny how we lose ourselves on the way?
We think we're wise but seldom have anything to say
It's best to know that we're all in this together
Leaving it to the Christmas spirit to make life better
(c) December 8, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged 3d, Angels, Curtain, Demons, Dickens, Dirty, Elves, Feel, Figures of Speech, Flirty, Ghost, Golden Rings, Heart, Heaven, Heaven Sent, Illumination, Intent, Interactive, Mischievious, Pipers, Play Nice, Poetry and Poems, Price, Real, Street Light
Leave a comment
First Principles: The Public Cannot Be Too Curious Concerning the Characters of Public Men
“The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men.” -Samuel Adams (1775)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Cannot, Character, Concern, Curious, First Principles, Public, Public Men, Samuel Adams
Leave a comment
Thought For the Day: Even In the Most Beautiful Music, There Are Some Silences, Where Are There So We Can Witness the Importance of Silence
“Even in the most beautiful music, there are some silences, which are there so we can witness the importance of silence. Silence is more important than ever, as life today is full of noise. We speak a lot about environmental pollution but not enough about noise pollution.” – Andrea Bocelli
Happy Chanukah 2023!!
This year with the surge of antisemitism, it is especially important that we Christians stand by the Jewish believers too! We must not let hate and intolerance prevail EVER!
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged 2023, Antisimiticism, Christians, Happy Chanukah, Hate, Intolerance, Jewish Believers, Stand By, Surge, This Year, Thought For the Day
Leave a comment
Chanukah and Antisemitism
In solidarity with the Jewish people around the globe on this first night of Chanukah!
Chanukah and Antisemitism
by Michael Doyle
In what should be a quiet season filled with optimism
It is hard to feel life without a bit of pessimism
Still, menorah lights shine hope into a hopeless night
In a #MeToo moment that is a hate-filled sight
An oppressed people's plight is twisted and manipulated
By cowards pretending bravery against those similarly fated
Two peoples need to somehow learn to coexist and survive
And a bedeviled resistance that lets neither stay alive
With all this joy and sorrow, is life lived despite grief
In a world filled with a dull coldness, survivors seek relief
It's the story of perseverance in the face of unspeakable hate
A rededication of the temple must be had before it is too late
We know that as we join hand in hand, standing as friends
That the forces of intolerance will come to their just end
Even as we see the beasts of Satan follow their baser urges
We hold this hatred back through brotherhood as it surges
The menorahs will continue their visibility in prominent places
As the first night of the Festival of Lights leaves its traces
While the rabbis know it's hard to demonstrate pride in Judaism
In this hate-filled world that is caught up in antisemitism
Here on the first night of Chanukah, the conflict will stay
The light of the shamash signifies the will forward today
And must be lit with courage and belief in the divine light
This reminder of the Jewish obligation begins this night
The miracle of oil burning must flow shining and fully visible
Knowing that the peoples of faith will stand indivisible
Side by side in this celebration of freedom and sanctuary
This symbol of light is God's presence given in His dignity
We stand united as one guardian of the world and universe
To shield and comfort the oppressed from a hatred so perverse
Like the burning bush that speaks the truth that all must hear
We must stand firm, lighting each candle, and quench out fear
(c)December 7, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged #MeToo, Antistemitism, Base Urges, Beasts of Satan, Bediviled Resistance, Belief, Brave, Brotherhood, Burning Bush, Celebration, Chanukah, Coexist, Conflict, Courage, Cowards, Dignity, Divine Light, Dull Coldness, Elie Wisel, Encourage, Fate, Fear, Festival of Lights, Forces of Intolerance, Freedom, Friends, God's Presence, Grief, Hand In Hand, Hate-Filled, Heaer, Hopeless, Indivisible, Jewish Obligation, Jewish People, Joy and Sorrow, Judaism, Just End, Late, Light, Light Each Candle, Manipulated, Miracle, Monrah, Neutrality, Oil Burning, Oppressed, Oppressed People, Oppressor, Optimism, Peoples of Faith, Persevereance, Perverse, Pessimism, Plight, Poetry and Poems, Pride, Prominent, Quench, Rabbi, Rededication, Relief, Sanctuary, Season, Shamash, Shield and Comfort, Side By Side, Sihine, Silence, Solidarity, Speak, Stand Firm, Stand United, Stay Alive, Survive, Survivors, Take Side, Temple, Tormented, Tormentor, Trace, Truth, Unspeakable Hate, Victim, Visibility, World and Universe
Leave a comment
Strategic Calculation
In remembrance of December 7, 1941:
Strategic Calculation
by Michael Doyle
It was a risk based on a strategic calculation
That brought the Japanese to their evaluation
December 7, 1941, will live on in its infamy
Taking its place within our nation's memory
It was a stumbled moment of American military negligence
Not a fabled moment created by blind Japanese arrogance
The ambitious slender logic was not folly or mad
However much it has left both nations worried and sad
As we look back from each nation's historical perspective
Though we have long since joined hands and are reflective
Of the lessons that we might learn from that tragic day
Each side has its what if it had turned out another way
Each year, as the clock ticks toward this day, it is said
That the Japanese opinion makers prepare with ominous dread
Pearl Harbor's sting must neither be something forgotten
Or allowed to become something that festers until rotten
Neither wrath nor malice are the truest of American ways
Instead, we are to learn from the past and seek better days
Our historical yardstick once had a great deal less accuracy
Perhaps allow this to become the lesson for our nation's memory
From this lesson comes the knowledge of the need for preparation
And in preparing a stronger nation that is not in isolation
We find ourselves friendly to all, but if need be, ready to fight
This kept as our memory of Pearl Harbor might be about right
(c) December 7, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Accuracy, Allow, American, American Ways, Better Days, Clock, December 7 1941, Evaluation, Fabled Moment, Fester, Folly, Forgotten, Friendly Toward All, Historic Perspective, Infamy, Isolation, Japanese, Just About Right, Learn, Lessons, Mad, Malice, Military Negligence, Nation's Memory, Ominous Dread, Poetry and Poems, Preparation, Ready for Fight, Reflective, Rotten, Slender Logic, Sting, Strategic Calculation, Stronger, Tragic Day, Wrath, Yardstick
Leave a comment
