“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
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Thought For the Day: The Happiness of Your Life Depends On the Quality of Your Thoughts
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Tagged Depends, Entertain, Guard, Happiness, Life, Marcus Aurelius, Nature, Notions, Quality, Reasonable, Take Care, Thought For the Day, Thoughts, Virtue
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First Principles: They Who Permit Themselves To Lie Once, Find It Much Easier To Do Until It Becomes Habitual
“He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him.” – Thomas Jefferson (1785)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Attend, Believe, Easy, First Principles, Habitual, Lie, Lies, Permit, Second, Third, Thomas Jefferson, Truth, World
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In An Argument For Union
In a further look at American history, let’s take a poetic look at the foundations of federating our republic:
In An Argument For Union by Michael Doyle Each of these concerns had the attention Of our Founding Fathers with keen intention James Madison's essay noted these vices As he dissected the cure one by one in slices Eleven vices that make for bad policy Unjust and hurtful in their futility The argument made is the flaw of majority That it is not the wisest course proven by history When the majority oppresses the minority Disallowing that minority its truest dignity Then we cannot say its ruling in a just way Violation of rights come every single day Thomas Jefferson was deeply in agreement Experienced as he was in the ways of government The democracy of the unfettered majority Breeds the injustice of a tainted plurality An elective despotism was not fought for This realization became the golden more Seeking after natural rights in representation These gradually became the way of our nation Consent does not protect the minority This we found in our new sobriety Always seeking toward natural rights In all of these troubled days and nights (c) April 29, 2020 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Agreement, American History, Argument, Attention, Bad Policy, Concern, Consent, Course, Cure, Days, Democracy, Dignity, Elective Despotism, Eleven, Essay, Experience, Flaw, Fought, Foundation, Founding Fathers, Futility, Golden More, Government, Gradual, Harm, History, Injustice, Intention, James Madison, Just, Majority, Minority, Nation, Natural Rights, Nights, Opression, Photograph, Plurality, Poem, Poetry, Protect, Realization, Representation, Republic, Rights, Rule, Sobriety, Taint, Thomas Jefferson, Trouble, Unfettered, Union, Unjust, Vice, Violation, Way, Ways, Wise
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On the Articles of Confederation
In these down times, I am taking a moment to reexamine and better understand the Constitution. The following is a look at the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation under which America arose as a nation.
On the Articles of Confederation by Michael Doyle The purpose of government As it is clearly meant Is to protect our God given rights Consent is given to secure these lights Instituted with only their just powers Dedicated to securing liberty in all hours For all citizens in the pursuit of life and liberty This then is the anchor point of our history Post-Revolution we find debt and instability A discovery of doubtfulness in our recovery The United States despite our dignity Ceded to each state their sovereignty Each state differently but to the extreme In their majoritarian, legislative supremacy From a war fought against centralized tyranny Were responsive to changes to the point of anarchy Paper money was the bane of our economy As inflated values resolved nothing in finality Religious minorities lost their protection These problems did not escape detection (c) April 29, 2020 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged America, Anarchy, Anchor, Articles of Confederation, Bane, Cede, Central, Change, Citizen, Consent, Constitution, Debt, Different, Dignity, Discovery, Doubt, Economy, Extreme, God, Government, History, Inflated, Instability, Just, Legislative, Liberty, Life, Light, Majority, Meant, Paper Money, Photograph, Poem, Poetry, Power, Problems, Protection, Purpose, Pursuit, Recovery, Religous Minorities, Resolution, Responsive, Revolution, Rights, Secure, Sovereignty, States, Supremacy, Tyranny, United States, Value, War
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What Shall We Name Him?
Day 29 of NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo 2020! The objective optional prompt is to write a poem about a pet that has or had our heart or has otherwise distinguished him or herself in our hearts and souls. For me, that will take the form of a confessional of sorts about dog recently obtained by one person (my lady love) and named between us two people divided by a nation as this pandemic came crashing down on us.
What Shall We Name Him?
by Michael Doyle
Such a puppy as this
Has the special power
With a lick for his kiss
To brighten every hour
You were looking for the size of a poodle
We compromised for a Golden Doodle
With his teddy bear flair
And without a warning to beware
His playfulness stole our hearts
Just a word to the wise to impart
His energy is beyond all compare
And unflinchingly he ensnares
What shall we name him?
Do you even have a whim?
We look up doggie style names
While he plays his puppy games
What shall we name him?
We laugh a smile of a thousand whims
Saying each until he responds with a wiggle
I laugh and you joyfully giggle
We'd tried noble names like Ascher
And he just did not bother to answer
This turned out to mean "Happy"
And though that suited his personality
It didn't quite seem to truly suit
The core of his personality at the root
With another bark and laughing lick
Your face lit up as if it found just the trick
Our Golden Doodle boy became "Bailey"
As he responded with a cuddle quite dashingly
We knew, no other name would quite do
And so he is now Bailey to me and you
Shared socially distanced and over Skype
Which for this once, lived up to its hype
A sudden triumph of glitchy technology
Overcame this circumstance of epidemiology
Over the screen, that glow on your face
Was just such a glow, I live to embrace
Though separated now by the breadth of our nation
We managed to name our boy when he reached your destination
(c) April 29, 2020 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged 2020, Answer, Ascher, Bailey, Bark, Beware, Boy, Breadth, Bright, Circumstance, Compare, Core, Cuddle, Dash, Destination, Dog, Doggie, Embrace, Energy, Ensnare, Epidemiology, Face, Flair, Games, Giggle, Glitchy, Glow, Golden Doodle, Happy, He, Heart, Hour, Hype, Joy, Kiss, Laugh, Lick, Lit, Manage, Me and You, Name, Names, NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo, Nation, Noble, Pandemic, Personality, Pet, Photograph, Play, Playfulness, Poem, Poetry, Poodle, Puppy, Root, Screen, Separate, Skype, Smile, Social Distance, Special Power, Style, Suit, Technology, Teddy Bear, Trick, Triumph, Warning, Whim, Wiggle, Wise, Word
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First Principles: Patriotism Is As Much A Virtue As Justice and Is As Necessary For the Support of Societies As Natural Affection Is For the Support of Families
“Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families.” – Benjamin Rush
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Benjamin Rush, Family, First Principles, Justice, Natural Affection, Necessary, Patriotism, Society, Support, Virtue
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Thought For the Day: I Don’t Need Time. What I Need Is A Deadline.
“I don’t need time. What I need is a deadline.” – Duke Ellington, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor (29 Apr 1899-1974)
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Tagged Deadline, Duke Ellington, I, Need, Thought For the Day, Time
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The Way of Swords
A warrior knows the ways of war. It’s that fighting soul so often missing in these times.
The Way of Swords by Michael Doyle The way of swords Knows its own destiny Like an apple sliced and cored It is the way of history Always pulling at us all However we may try to forget A true king will never be in thrall Though he may live to know regret Men of savage cunnery Fight as if with God's will A forsaken chance at becoming legendary Though a brief moment in the tale The battlefield knows its own With no place for fear or doubt Though the brave may be whittled to bone Victory or death are the only ways out (c) April 28, 2020 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Apple, Battlefield, Bone, Brave, Brief, Chance, Death, Destiny, Doubt, Fear, Fight, Forget, Forsaken, God's Will, History, King, Legendary, Live, Moment, Own, Photograph, Place, Poem, Poetry, Pull, Regret, Savage, Soul, Swords, Tale, Thrall, Victory, Warrior, Way, Ways of War, Whittle
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An Introduction of Light
Photography is a trick of light crafted to create the illusion desired. It depends on ambient or found light and that introduced light that we use to reflect how we choose to see what we are viewing. Or, ummm… something like that… 😉
An Introduction of Light by Michael Doyle Slowing down the shutter speed For just the right illumination you need Brings your own light to the party And showing the sight you want to see Crafted into a well spoken definition Is a gift given in that illumination Overhead light is a bringer of harshness Softness from the side is better than starkness Keeping an eye out for unusual light sources Can be just the trick of those rushes and courses Experimenting with the way light plays Can add more beauty to the captures of your days A flash of light hits like strobe Washing things out like a dirty robe Yet, fill flash requiring some thought More often gets the photos you've sought Exposure and dramatic bit of diffusion Can be used to create beautiful illusion That controls the shadows brought out to reveal All of the best of the desired details Flash is for all times of the day and night Depending on the need for play and of light It's about capturing all the depth and intensity In an attempt to capture the world in its immensity (c) April 28, 2020 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Add, Attempt, Beauty, Bring, Capture, Control, Craft, Create, Day and Night, Days, Definition, Depend, Depth, Desire, Detail, Diffusion, Experiment, Exposure, Eye, Fill Flash, Flash, Gift, Harshness, Illumination, Illusion, Immensity, Intensity, Introduction, Light, Overhead Light, Party, Photograph, Photography, Photos, Play, Poem, Poetry, Reflect, Reveal, See, Shadow, Show, Shutter Speed, Side, Sight, Softness, Sought, Starkness, Strobe, Thought, Trick of Light, Unusual, World
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Remonstration
The 28th Day of Na/GloPoWriMo asks for optional prompt of recalling our favorite bedrooms in the manner of our choosing. Mostly what I remember growing up shouldn’t be.
Remonstration by Michael Doyle Looking back without much remonstration I recall how I lived across globe and nation To say it one way I lived as a military brat There would be much truth in saying that Whether in on-base housing or the community The places changed every two years for my family But it would remain the same 3 rooms each time And the same barren walls we got to climb The kids rooms would remain plain, easy to move No holes in the wall or tape or need to improve Spartan and yet still the places of our retreat No scuffles and no marks no how we'd entreat But in those rooms, we'd play sometimes together And sometimes alone was somehow just a bit better Growing in our lives enriched with imagination That consistency stayed no matter the destination Books and music became some of my better best friends There was many a world to live between bookends Much to be grown inside as I strummed guitar and sang songs And that was alright as long as it wasn't to loud or too long Oh, but the places that in the end we had loved and seen Becoming our best as sentient if somewhat confined human beings And there was plenty of room outside to build forts and play I suppose we found this quite natural in most every way It got a little much with the eventful weekly inspections White gloved and quarter tossed for our tidy dust detections There would be no mercy for our dereliction in all of our duty But, then again there was that world filled with beauty (c) April 28, 2020 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Alone, Barren Walls, Beauty, Better, Bookends, Books, Community, Confined, Consistent, Derelction, Destination, Dust, Duty, Enrich, Family, Fill, Forts, Friends, Globe, Grow, Guitar, Human Beings, Imagination, Improve, Inspection, Kids, Lives, Long, Looking Back, Loud, Loved, Marks, Military Brat, Music, Na/GloPoWriMo, Nation, Natural, On-Base Housing, Outside, Photograph, Plain, Play, Poem, Poetry, Quarter, Remonstration, Retreat, Room, Same, Scuffles, Seen, Sentient, Songs, Spartan, Tape, Tidy, Together, Truth, Wall, Way, Week, White Gloves, World, Years
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