ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER

Another New Song Sung

Posted on December 30, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

Lost Gardens of Thera @ New Santori - Moonlight

Another New Song Sung
by Michael Doyle

The troubled midnight and the moon’s repose (La figlia Che Piange – T. S. Elliot)
Made me think of song I’ve yet to compose
Too many notes still in their ragged jumble
Too many words falling into their mumble

There must be something new yet to say
Still, it seems I feel the same things every day
Always tossing around the same old feeling
While striving for the new in what I’m revealing

A couple more chords thrown in for fun
Certain that this song will be the one
That makes its way to collective memory
Or at least provides moments of reverie

Four chord progressions are better than three
When accompanied by some sort of melody
That makes others want to hum or whistle along
And yes, I’ll pretend it yet another new song

(c) December 28, 2021 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved

Posted in Poetry and Poems | Tagged Chords, Collective Memory, Compose, Every Day, Feel, Jumble, La Figlia Che Piange, Melody, Moon, Mumble, Notes, Poetry and Poems, Pretend, Progression, Reveal, Reverie, Same Old Feeling, Something New, Song, Sung, T.S. Elliot, Tossing, Troubled Moonlight, Whistle, Words | Leave a comment

First Principles: The Bible Is the Best of All Books, For It Is the Word of God and Teaches Us the Way To Be Happy In this World and In the Next

Posted on December 30, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“Condescend, merciful Father! to grant as far as proper these imperfect petitions, to accept these inadequate thanksgivings, and to pardon whatever of sin hath mingled in them for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Savior; unto Whom, with Thee, and the blessed Spirit, ever one God, be rendered all honor and glory, now and forever. … The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. … Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” – John Jay

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Book, Choice, Christian Nation, Christians, Duty, First Principles, God, Happy, Honor and Glory, Interest, Jesus Christ, John Jay, Life, Lord and Savior, Pardon, Petition, Precepts, Privilege, Providence, Read, Regulate, Rulers, Sin, Spirit, Teach, Thanksgiving, The Bible, Word of God, World | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: The Most Important Discoveries Will Provide Answers To Questions That We Do Not Yet Know How To Ask

Posted on December 30, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined.” -John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist (30 Dec 1935-2005)

John N. Bahcall is known for helping to solve the solar neutrino problem and the development of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Posted in Thought For the Day | Tagged Answers, Ask, Discovery, Important, John N. Bahcall, Know, Questions, Thought For the Day | Leave a comment

New Beginning Off Of An Old Ending

Posted on December 29, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

There is a tradition at the Short Form Poetry Workshop to work a couple of new poems from the end of famous older poems. This is one of the two written last night:

Ashley's Oasis Elite -- Love On An Early Winters Day

New Beginning Off of An Old Ending
by Michael Doyle

Learn to labor and to wait (A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Janus set his particular date
As I let my usual list evolve
Into promises yet to resolve
Things that I must yet attain
Something valuable to obtain
In working toward my perfection
Or least heading in that direction
Hoping that I might yet have hope
In all the things that I must cope
Setting myself to this yearly task
As I question why Janus must ask
That we put aside the old year
To greet the new one in good cheer
Yet here we are again
With me grasping for that win
While the world knows mixed weather
I push on through to become better
Growing as I must or at least I’ll try
2022 will be golden, don’t ask why

Ashley's Oasis Elite - Cozy Fire At the Flower Garden

Posted in Poetry and Poems | Tagged 2022, Again, Ask, Attain, Better, Cope, Date, Direction, Golden, Good Cheer, Grasp, Grow, Hope, Janus, Labor, Learn, List, New Beginning, Old Ending, Old Year, Perfection, Poetry and Poems, Promises, Question, Resolve, Short Form Poetry Workshop, Task, Try, Value, Weather, Why, Win, World, Year | Leave a comment

First Principles: It Is Religion and Morality Alone, Which Can Establish the Principles Upon Which Freedom Can Securely Stand

Posted on December 29, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. … Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.” – John Adams

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Constitution, First Principles, Forms of Government, Foundation, Free Constrituion, Freedom, Inspire, John Adams, Liberty, Measure, Moral and Religious, Plan, Principle, Religion and Morality, Rulers, Statesmen, Virtue | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: It Takes the Highest Courage To Utter Unpopular Truths

Posted on December 29, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“The authoritarian sets up some book, or man, or tradition to establish the truth. The freethinker sets up reason and private judgment to discover the truth… It takes the highest courage to utter unpopular truths.” – Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

Posted in Thought For the Day | Tagged Authoritarian, Book, Discover, Establish, Freethinker, Herbert Spencer, Highest Courage, Man, Private Judgment, Reason, Thought For the Day, Tradition, Truth, Unpopular Truths | Leave a comment

A Thinking Plague

Posted on December 28, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

A Thinking Plague
by Michael Doyle

Peeped at through the window my mind's eye
It seems to philosophize is to learn to die
There is to every life an adversary named death
One that we must fight until our last breath

Fruitful in our play had through conversation
Is the knowledge that we all meet this destination
The best that we can hope for is to die well
Happily composed in having managed to tell our tale

As we look down the long road of our veiled approach
May it be that we do so without society's reproach
Though sinners and saints hold equal approximation
A questing soul might yet long for love's approbation

Those born high in station find delight in treasure
The rest of us seek to find our way through even measure
It is for those in this middle ground to strive to think
Without the burden or excuses of those who simply drink

There is in life a thinking plague full of obfuscation
In which over analysis holds its paled composition
In a paralysis that leads to a detachment from things
The likes of which tomorrow seldom ever truly brings

It seems that Hume has accidentally taught me a lot
Over half of which, it seems, in my dreams, I've forgot
Came from the flow of his well inked pen touching parchment
Carelessly glossed over without meaning to nor meant

(c) December 28, 2021  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved

Posted in Poetry and Poems | Tagged Adversary, Analysis, Approach, Approximation, Brings, Composition, Conversation, Death, Destination, Detachment, Die, Dreams, Forgot, Hume, Last Breath, Life, Long Road, Meant, Measure, Middle Ground, Obfuscation, Paralysis, Parchment, Pen, Philosophy, Plague, Poetry and Poems, Quest, Reproach, Sinners and Saints, Society, Tale, Taught, Think, Thinking, Tomorrow, Treasure, Window | Leave a comment

First Principles: There Are More Instances of the Abridgement of the Freedom of the People By Gradual and Silent Encroachment of Those In Power Than by Violent and Sudden Usurpations

Posted on December 28, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the People by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” – James Madison

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Abridgement, Encroachments, First Principles, Freedom, Gradual, Instances, James Madison, Power, Silent, Sudden, The People, Usurpations, Violent | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: In the Case of Good Books, the Point Is Not How Many of Them You Can Get Through, But Rather How Many Can Get Through To You

Posted on December 28, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” – Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (28 Dec 1902-2001)

Posted in Thought For the Day | Tagged Case, Good Books, Many, Mortimer J. Adler, Point, Thought For the Day, Trhough | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: The Constitution Does Not Require Complete Separation of Church and State; It Affirmatively Mandates Accommodation

Posted on December 27, 2021 by alohapromisesforever

“The concept of a ‘wall’ of separation between church and state is a … figure of speech. … The Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility toward any. Anything less would require the ‘callous indifference’ that was never intended by the Establishment Clause. … Indeed, we have observed, such hostility would bring us into ‘war with our national tradition as embodied in the First Amendment’s guaranty of the free exercise of religion.” – Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, cited in Zorach v. Clauson

Posted in Thought For the Day | Tagged Accommodation, Affirmatively Mandates, All Religions, Callous Indifference, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, Church and State, Concept, Establishment Clause, Figure of Speech, First Amendment, Forbids Hostility, Free Exercise of Religion, Guaranty, Hostility, National Tradition, Observe, The Constitution, Thought For the Day, Tolerance, Wall of Separation, War, Zorach v. Clauson | Leave a comment

ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER

Another New Song Sung

First Principles: The Bible Is the Best of All Books, For It Is the Word of God and Teaches Us the Way To Be Happy In this World and In the Next

Thought For the Day: The Most Important Discoveries Will Provide Answers To Questions That We Do Not Yet Know How To Ask

First Principles: It Is Religion and Morality Alone, Which Can Establish the Principles Upon Which Freedom Can Securely Stand

Thought For the Day: It Takes the Highest Courage To Utter Unpopular Truths

A Thinking Plague

First Principles: There Are More Instances of the Abridgement of the Freedom of the People By Gradual and Silent Encroachment of Those In Power Than by Violent and Sudden Usurpations

Thought For the Day: In the Case of Good Books, the Point Is Not How Many of Them You Can Get Through, But Rather How Many Can Get Through To You

Thought For the Day: The Constitution Does Not Require Complete Separation of Church and State; It Affirmatively Mandates Accommodation

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