When All Is Said And Done

There will be no time to right the wrongs

When the last song has been sung

No time for you to make amends

When the final bell has rung

No time to sum up your regrets

To heal the wounds and pain

Suffered by the ones we love

Who could not bear the strain

No time to take back careless words

That cut a tender heart

For in the end, it comes so fast

A moment from the start

Time is just a measure

And life is but a trace

Of all the pain and pleasure

Like lines upon your face

And in the end, our epitaph

Written when our race is run

Is washed away like so much sand

When all is said and done

cn 7242011

The Third Commandment

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain”

The fact is that this passage is generally interpreted as referring to verbal usage of God’s name by cursing.

The truth is that cursing is only as harmful as any other words. The actions of those who use the name of God for their own agenda are truly blasphemous. “Actions speak louder than words”. Amen.

The young man who was an accomplice in the senseless killing of my young nephew was sentenced to fifteen to twenty years in prison for handing a sixteen year old boy the cocked gun that changed so many lives forever. The family of this budding criminal harassed the victim’s family saying they were good Christian people who did not deserve such a punishment. Never mind the fact that this fine young soldier of the cross was on parole for taking part in the gang rape of a fifteen year old girl.

What would Jesus have done?

Normally, the name of Jesus is not invoked until incarceration is underway. Conversion to Christianity rates second to only sodomy in jailhouse life style changes.

Hallelujah!

I have come to be wary of anyone who bears the cross or fish or any other symbol they deem necessary to brand themselves as one of God’s elite. I have found businesses that use these symbols or spout scripture from the yellow pages are generally as unscrupulous as they come.

There are so many ways to take the Lord’s name in vain. How many wars have been launched in his name? How many needless lives sacrificed by warring armies who both fought for their god? How many arrogant leaders have attempted to invoke the name of God to shore up sagging ratings in the polls or to stir a nation to war at a time when it is most vulnerable?

Surely, if there is a hell, politicians will get preferred seating.

Perhaps the most sickening violation of this commandment comes from those misguided fools who build monuments to God, grand cathedrals that glorify themselves rather than their supposed creator. They sit in padded pews and stare up at solid gold crosses, while listening to sermons from the Gospel of Affluence. All the while, people are starving and dying in this same world. Is this where Jesus would be on Sunday morning? To hide behind the cross to justify our self-absorbed lives is pathetic and surely sinful.

There is no place in The Bible that says blessed are the arrogant. No mention of how those who live selfish lives will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Nowhere does the Bible say blessed are they who war in my name’s sake, for they shall exceed their own father’s presidential legacy.

Note to the Republican Party: Keep an eye on the meek. They may have some pull one day.

Interpretation is everything, whether interpreting the Bible, Koran, Torah or even the United States Constitution. Unfortunately, religious zealots interpret the third commandment as meaning thou shalt not verbally take the name of God in vain. This enables them to live and act however best suits their needs with no consideration for the rest of the world.

And that’s a goddamn shame.

Pieces of Clay

Somewhere on a pathway

Far from the lone main road

Are the fragments of a pilgrim

Who couldn’t bear the load

The vessel he was given

Just couldn’t stand the strain

A pot of clay that shattered

A victim of the pain

A puzzle pieced together

To paint a peace of mind

A journey for a holy place

A saint without a shrine

A rhyme without a reason

A fire without a flame

Just some shattered memories

Of one without a name

cn 012211

To Sleep, To Dream

In the event of something happening

That I did not foresee

Let me sleep until the world’s

A better place to be

Wake me when we live in peace

With love and harmony

Until then just let me rest

Until we all live free

Let me dream the age old dream

Where all can live as one

Don’t wake me until it’s true

Until the fight is done

I just need a little nap

I’m weary from the load

And watching pilgrims falter

As they travel this hard road

There are many miles still left to go

And promises to keep

But I can’t think about that now

Please lay me down to sleep

For Daniel

Well, it took three shots of whiskey

Just to let these feelings out

Of a heart grown old and weary

And riddled with self-doubt

Counting regrets with every swallow

Failures numbered one by one

But the one I can’t get over

Is the way I lost my son

Yes, it’s been a real hard Christmas

But I guess you made your choice

And I’d give a million lifetimes

Just tonight to hear your voice

You were Daddy’s little sequel

But your Daddy wasn’t strong

And he left you to face struggles

No one could endure alone

I was lost in my own weakness

You got lost without me there

You surrendered to the darkness

Your defenses all laid bare

Now, you’re bitter and you’re angry

How I miss my pride and joy

What I’d give to turn those pages back

When you were my baby boy

And regret’s a bad companion

When you look at all you’ve lost

And all those coward’s alibis

Aren’t worth the pain they’ve cost

Tonight, I reach for you again

Without much new to say

And touch the one I love the most

Two hundred miles away

cn 12252011

A Christmas Wish

I looked up in the evening sky
And found no shining star
The only light my eyes could find
Came from a passing car
There was no band of angels
With messages of peace
To give this weary spirit hope
That war would simply cease
No shepherds gathered ‘round me
No wise men from afar
No one on a pilgrimage
Led by a sacred star
Just faceless shoppers hustling
Were all that I could see
Seeking for the perfect gift
To put beneath a tree
A message came so long ago
Some think from up above
A song of hope, a ray of light
A song of peace and love
That got lost in the shuffle
In a world grown dark and cold
Where hope gives way to worry
And the fear of growing old
So, set aside your worries
Put life’s troubles on a shelf
Focus on what matters most
Find peace within yourself
Then share the love inside you
With the ones that you hold dear
And carry hope inside your heart
And share it through the year
You see, there is no magic shining star
The light’s inside of you
And peace on earth starts with one soul
Let it begin with you

cn 12242011

Epilogue

Where are you tonight, dear friend

Why did you have to leave

Sitting here so all alone

Where I can only grieve

I would give all my possessions

To see your smiling face

The world you left me stranded in

Is such a lonely place

Where is my companion

The one who always knew

The darkest part inside of me

Kept hidden out of view

You left without a warning

And took a part of me

Now every new day dawning

Brings a light that I can’t see

No one else will ever know

The secrets that we shared

And nobody will understand

The depth with which we cared

No one else can fill this void

No one will take your place

So, for tonight I close my eyes

And see your smiling face

cn 4232011

Pawns

I woke up this morning

The world was the same

People still dying

Just pawns in a game

Borrowing money

And giving up lives

Robbing our children

Husbands and wives

So far away

From the comfort we know

A steep price to pay

With nothing to show

It’s all for the dollar

And business is great

They’re filling the coffers

And sealing our fate

They’re drunk on the power

And driven by greed

Taking our children

For their endless needs

And we sit back and let them

With nothing to say

Like lambs led to slaughter

How long will we pay

cn 7172011

Remedy

A little weed, a little whiskey
And a little Jackson Browne
A little homegrown remedy
For when life gets me down
A moment of exemption
An ointment for the soul
Escaping to a secret place
Where everyone is whole
Where no one fears or hungers
Where no one’s left alone
To keep this tired heart of mine
From turning into stone
A respite from the suffering
A place that knows no pain
Where no one buckles under
A victim of the strain
Tonight I need a shelter
Besides this fragile skin
Tomorrow I’ll be better
And I’ll face the world again