“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela
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Thought For the Day: For To Be Free Is Not Merely To Cast Off One’s Chains, But To Live In A Way That Respects and Enhances the Freedom of Others
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Chains, Enhance, Free, Freedom, Live, Nelson Mandela, Respect, Thought For the Day
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My Soul Laid Bare
My Soul Laid Bare
by Michael Doyle
I awoke with my soul laid bare,
And knowing how much God cares.
Looking up at the source of all,
I found it easy to recall
That the Lord is always present.
In all of my known intent,
My eyes are focused on His story,
Feeling the power of His glory.
I begin every battle in life on my knees,
Knowing who and why I serve as I please.
My faith focuses my trust,
As I turn to the Lord, as I continually must.
Every question is answered by His power,
Rescued from all dilemmas of this hour.
Our words fall short in our replies,
As we see it all unfold before our eyes.
a hallelujah falls from my broken heart,
Somehow stronger than at the start.
As I praise the holiness I've come to know,
I feel it deeper than my steady roll.
I shout to our kingdom's Heaven with my praise,
Feeling it deeper than the length of my days.
In the roar of the universe's abiding silence,
The love of the Lord overcomes this world's violence.
And I find myself singing into the quietude,
Putting on the faith of known gratitude.
At the heart of my worship is the solace of love.
My hands are outstretched to my King above.
(c) July 17, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Bare, Battle, Faith, Focus, Glory, God, Intention, Knees, Please, Poetry and Poems, Power, Present, Soul, Source, Trust, Turn to the Lord
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Thought For the Day: When It Comes To Human Dignity, We Cannot Make compromises
“When it comes to human dignity, we cannot make compromises.” – Angela Merkel
First Principles: The True Foundation of Republican Government Is the Equal Right of Every Citizen In His Person and Property and In their Management
“The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen in his person and property and in their management.” – Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. ME 15:36
To See Past Query
To See Past Query
by Michael Doyle
Much of life is conjecture and theory.
We take for granted what should be a query.
Like whether it's more beautiful or wise
To look into a sunrise or a lover's eyes.
We look at the wrong things for security.
Always wanting life to consist of certainty.
Thinking of these things as simple as purity,
But being unable to see beyond life's obscurity.
This insecurity is a killer of what is beautiful.
It makes it harder to live life for what is wonderful.
This fear that plagues us makes us hate the unknown.
It's hard to boldly push beyond what's been shown.
Human attraction is something we need returned,
Life has taught us the fear that we have learned.
The fear that sometimes love won't be returned
Is often joined with the inability for it to be discerned.
We must learn to live the life of not knowing,
Looking for the reasons behind whatever is showing.
And to let go of those things that we cannot know
That's how life is best lived in its simple roll.
(c) July 16, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Beautiful, Beauy, Certainity, Conjecture and Theory, Discren, Human Attraction, Inaiblity, Learned, Life, Love, Lover's Eyes, Obscurrity, Poetry and Poems, Purity, Query, Returned, Security, See, Shown, Simple Roll, Sunrise, Uknown, Wise, Wonderful
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First Principles: To Be Good, and To Do Good, Is All We Have To Do
“You have discovered, in your Childhood, a remarkable Modesty, Discretion, and Reserve; I hope these great and amiable Virtues will rather improve, in your riper Years. You are now I think, far advanced in your twelfth Year—a Time when the Understanding generally opens, and the Youth begin to look abroad into that World among whom they are to live.—To be good, and to do good, is all We have to do.” – John Adams to his daughter Abigail Adams, March 17, 1777
Posted in First Principles
Tagged All, Be Good, Do Good, First Principles, Have To Do, John Adams
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Thought For the Day: The Butterfly Counts Not Months But Moments, and Has Time Enough
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” – Rabindranath Tagore
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Butterfly, Moments, Months, Rabindranath Tagore, Thought For the Day, Time Enough
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Mortality Awoken
Mortality Awoken
by Michael Doyle
The questions of mortality
Go far beyond morality
When something makes you question why.
Or how it is that we are born to die.
Avoiding the phone calls that wait,
As these questions come down to fate.
Who are we to feel this shade of fear
That makes us question why we're here.
The world, it seems, breaks everyone.
We are stronger after the damage is done.
Mortal wounds come to us all impartially.
The best of life comes at us fatally.
We bleed until we have the good sense to die.
The end answers every question in its reply.
Life lived is as precious as it ends
Surrounded by no one, or by our loving friends.
All of us have better places to be.
We step into tomorrow just to see.
We ask ourselves questions over coffee.
Wondering who we are and will be ultimately.
The world, it seems, breaks everyone.
We are stronger after the damage is done.
Mortal wounds come to us all impartially.
The best of life comes at us fatally.
We struggle with what's left us bruised.
Because it runs deep to be left confused.
The things we think we thought that we knew
Are as paradoxical as the past that we outgrew.
Stepping out for another cup of tea.
In its reflected leaves, I see through me.
Strange new worlds became my final frontier.
But at the last drop, there was something still there.
The world, it seems, breaks everyone.
We are stronger after the damage is done.
Mortal wounds come to us all impartially.
The best of life comes at us fatally.
(c) July 15, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Awoken, Bleed, Born To Die, Breaks, Damage, End, Everyone, Fatally, Fate, Fear, Good Sense, Impartially, Morality, Mortality, Phone Call, Poetry and Poems, Precious, Questions, Reply, Shade, Surrounded, The End, The World, Wait, Why, Wound
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First Principles: Associate Yourself With Men of Good Quality If You Esteem Your Own Reputation; For Tis Better To Be Alone Than In Bad Company
“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.” – George Washington
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Alone, Associate, Bad Company, Esteem, First Principles, George Washington, Good Quality, Mankind, Reputation
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Thought For the Day: Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine and Thy Medicine Be Thy Food
“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Food, Hippocrates, Medicine, Thought For the Day, Thy
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ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 