“Of all the cares or concerns of government, the direction of war most peculiarly demands those qualities which distinguish the exercise of power by a single hand. The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength, forms a usual and essential part in the definition of the executive authority.” – Alexander Hamilton (1788)
Leather Jacket Nerves
by Michael Doyle
There I was bleeding on the inside
Hidden behind the tall wall
That bears the scars of my pride
A worn mask with a hidden call
Not quite worn as a poker face
Drifting back in my perilous daze
We would toughen up and brace
Playing off each other to amaze
Lavish and unforgiving as we will
Quietly dying inside, to God we'd pray
While our leather jacket nerves of steel
Were worn to as if heroes of the day
Some of us barely out of childhood
We pretend to be six string iron men
Playing it fast and slaying good
Every note missed was its brutal sin
Sometimes we'd dare to smile a little
When we got past the envy of chains
That part played solo right past the middle
Went to show it wasn't all in vain
While the lyrics sang past bloody fingers
Written in bleak moments of clouds held back
Every memory blocked as sorrow lingers
Even the smiles were sworn to be painted black
Remembering back, I still don't know what for
We thought we would conquer music's last frontier
Knocked up beats that slammed down the door
As my eyes, and yours, filled with hidden tears
(c) April 3, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
“He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.” – Benjamin Franklin (1758)
“Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” -Washington Irving, writer (3 Apr 1783-1859)
As we begin this Holy Week, I am blessed to have the presence of my two daughters that I love more than all the world. God blessed my ex-wife and I with their lives being shared with us and it has been my deepest lesson, deepest moments of compassion, and the greatest beauty I have ever experienced. Other than my salvation, I cannot think of any greater blessing in my life than having been allowed to watch these two grow into the blossoming young ladies that they are. Blessed with unique attributes that make them different and a joy that I think about every moment of my existence on this earthly plane.
I hope that each of you has such similar blessing in your life to reflect on that God has given you. May this coming week be a time of rich reflection and grace. Happy Palm Sunday 2023!
Thoughts On Palm Sunday 2023
by Michael Doyle
Every man's life is a conversation
It's in the soul, not the presentation
Palm Sunday is it's own celebration
That turned from hosanna to devastation
Or so perception blinded, yet it gave good
One day at a time, as life is best understood
Life is full of changes moving on the roll
There are shifting tides that tame a soul
Each moment is best taken with composure
With Judases present giving life exposure
Being present at last supper with the body
Yet, praised out in God's blessed homily
With Jesus above, nothing for us is below
Dignity as we live in service for our souls
As he was about to die on that saving cross
Jesus washed feet in victory, not in loss
Praying for Judas is thought a tough goal
Picking up our crosses is how to benefit our souls
Even in the silence of God that makes us wait
All in good time, as eternity graces our fate
Who we say Jesus is the shaper of our experience
The right and wrong spoken is the shared difference
Sometimes we get it right, other times wrong
Still in the body of Christ, we find that we belong
At the Gates of Hell, Jesus preached without doubt
Causing the earth to move to keep sins out
The crowds we walk in may choose bad over the good
In the end, it according to God's plan as understood
Closer and closer, we move into our holy connection
As we pick up our own crosses in reverent veneration
In the end the debt is paid in full as is the rule
And we find Jesus's life provides our greatest school
The pressures of this world are spent make our history
Yet, the grace of God is revealed without any mystery
Open handed as it is for all who choose the path to see
God's love is brought, salvation is given to you and me
(c) April 2, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
“We must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” – Galatians 6:9
“Economists who have studied the relationship between education and economic growth confirm what common sense suggests: the number of college degrees is not nearly as important as how well students develop cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving ability.” – Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University
Jurassically Mundane
by Michael Doyle
Finally caving in I'm watching the show
With my daughters whispering clues to know
In hushed tones, I try not to be curt
As I insist on giving out my spoiler alert
A sense of wonder has left the building
But I still want nothing with revealing
That cynicism may brought the mundane
But I'm still curious about the story's chain
On the shoulders of genius it's best understood
That a fallen kingdom can lead to no one's good
Dinosaurs are in daffodils trampled under foot
With a velociraptor smile that is truly a beaut
There's nothing better than DNA's raw manipulation
Before the movie begins you can guess its destination
Like an empty vessel sinking before from vapid trust
The movie's plot is really corporate greed gone bust
For those who know hunger, giant locusts are an enemy
That may seem dull but are truly quite the adversary
Genetic manipulation is truly an ignoble bit of conspiracy
And in the end this part of the movie is real life tragedy
(c) April 1, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” – Joseph Story (1833)
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