“In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.” – James Madison (1788)

“[Film and theater critic John] Simon has simply discovered the trick used with great effectiveness by certain comedians, talk show hosts and punk rock musicians: people of modest talent can attract attention, at least for a while, by being unrelentingly offensive.” – Steven Pinker, author and psychology professor (b. 18 Sep 1954)

Witches Brew
by Michael Doyle
In the shroud of fog, we find the door
And knock on it, hoping yet to explore
Hidden secrets are lost behind smoky eyes
But it's the kind of secret that is hard to disguise
What sort of secrets would it be to refuse
The demands of the world and become a recluse
It's the sort of mind that comes openly to debate
Not in hostility but as a friend to man unable to hesitate
Instead, eager to share all that a mind has learned
Orthodoxy fights back as if its never been discerned
That different eyes see those different things
Needed to be experienced as each new day rings
The searching for answers should come through as light
Unafraid of the darkness while quietly shining bright
Gathering together to sharpen each other's minds
While bravely venturing forward, leaving ignorance behind
Greatness is humbled by greatness that is seen
As we encourage each other as the best among human beings
Though such courage comes with worried advice
An inquiring, earnest mind shared is worth any price
Lesser minds find it hard to understand
What it truly is to follow true leaders fit to command
And that in loving one another, we learn to forgive
And forge ahead into life yet to be fully lived
Sure so-called experts hang onto their providence
To securely hide their pretense against all evidence
Until reminded of their own past mistakes
That has brought others too many heartbreaks
Through strong advocation, the mystery is brought
To the inquiring minds and hearts that have truly sought
Only to bring about the best in the cause of the better good
Of those who fell on hard times by being misunderstood
Good does as it is that the good knows that it should
It's never the case or question of why or even would
But instead, chases after the essence of true humanity
Once it eludes the horrid outcomes of man's worst vanity
(c) October 27, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
The Rejected Man Stumbles
by Michael Doyle
The rejected man stumbles back into the darkness
Filled as he has become by this life's harshness
He had been helpful and knowledgeable in his ways
And though ill-tempered, he was useful in his days
Science, too, is useful but is a monster in its well
Because we can, not should, find in it a cautionary tale
It is not something truly meant to be used with intemperance
Instead, it must be approached slowly, not with impertinence
It's an infidelity to God to test life with unkindness
But cruelty is common in a world filled with blindness
It's only the honest person who holds pain acceptable
We are accountable for treating God's creations less than capable
But even those in position often hold prejudices of man
As though somehow immune through living in disgrace as they can
Some forget that God has the last words in everything
And now even fortunetellers know what tomorrow truly brings
II.
To live life is to often become subjected to its grief
As we come to terms with death and that it has no relief
Mankind is helpless in the face of the final face of death
Though it is that we seek to evade it with our last breath
Some seek to live life with nobility and right intention
To do this, first and foremost, is to pay the utmost attention
Though this might anger some who have attained learned positions
God encourages the question for knowledge without impositions
Seeking after knowledge should not be any cause of enmity
It is such seekers of truth that seek out needed remedies
It is said that the pursuit of truth will set man free
It is in trusting the yoke of God that man is truly set free
Experts and tyrants hold all challengers accountable
As if realizing questions asked become insurmountable
Argument, however wise, is said to serve to undermine
The status quo that has mysteriously become as if divine
All questions become held as venomous to the system
And all the trouble isn't for truth but against them
To stand against consensus is seen as foul arrogance
This must ended miserably by those keeping their governance
Yet, we rage; rage against this abomination
Rage, rage! Against those who live life in appointed stations
Rejecting those who dare to look and see differently
And live by their inner voices and are not ruled by the majority
To these, the pursuit of other than truth is an aberration
Of the throne inherited by man steadfast in our dedication
To pursue those things that God Himself has made
Undaunted by those higher up, who live life yet as if afraid
The full moon of this world is swallowed easily by the clouds
As its shine reminds us of the vulnerability of the proud
Who, if only, we would learn to tame and hold our tongues
Would not have as many lessons to learn while we are young
We find ourselves struggling in our sources of shame
With the worse part being the knowledge that we are to blame
While the wise voice, as conscience is, urges to be tranquil
We must seek the true solutions alone to our worse travails
(c) October 27, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
“There is no justification for taking away individuals’ freedom in the guise of public safety.” – Thomas Jefferson

“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again.” – Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963)

The Morning Only Brings Bad
by Michael Doyle
For some, the morning only brings bad
These are those who are persistently sad
Indulging only those things that will kill them
As if they missed the call of life's good hymn
Instead, they hear nonstop voices in their heads
The voices of the unknown come from the dead
As one haunted by the wicked one knows no rest
Rejected and neglected, he feels he's failed life's test
His troubles run so deep, perhaps a little too deep
That he wonders how they are made better through sleep
Coins are given for the dowry of someone other
And words of warning about nightmares are given another
(c) October 26, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Persistence
by Michael Doyle
We create our locked prisons by choice
Where our creatures find their voice
The point of origins might be our school
Or wherever we learned life's rules
Window shopping as we were then
Pursuing our visions and our sins
Paying our price as we moved along
Though we were mocked as if we didn't belong
A good God wills us onward to survive
Through the mercy of others, we stay alive
Hungry for knowledge and for life's food
We sharpen our wisdom by dreams pursued
In the beginning, life tests us to the bone
It is to see what we are made of on our own
Some only make it to the first level of experience
We only made it further through our own persistence
(c) October 26, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable.” – Thomas Jefferson (1817)

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973)

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