Dennis S. Martin's Blog, page 45

Moderation

Anything…Everything…

Allgood things in moderation.

Songswe sing,

Foodwe bring

Inaustere consideration.

 

Worrying…Flurrying…

Hurryingto reach the end while

Motheringand smothering 

Inways no one can comprehend.

 

Gluttonysays to me,

“Haveyour fill. Enjoy temptation.”

Butthe relish of ambrosia

Wieldsan untoward consequence.

 

Stavingcravings, not so easy,

Testedby such sweet sensations.

Desperatefor overkill to

Acquiesceto common sense.

 

Lessis more

Forwhat’s in store, and

Greedis need when unrestrained.

Andwhy must we

Feintdebauchee

Whenbeckoned to abstain.

 

Mercy

Ina world of second chances

Itshould come as no surprise

Thebridle of benevolence should

Leadthe way to a proper pause.

 

Concessioncomes much easier when

Viewsarise through other’s eyes.

Andquarter seems more likely given

Toa foe of noble cause.

 

Mercyis the silent seer

Whoseending anger cannot see.

Thepower of forgiveness gives

Thegiver infinite release.

 

So,let us then give ken to mercy,

Hailto grace and clemency.

Letthe shine of tempered pardon

Bethe paradigm of peace.

 

Whereaswe decry a lie,

Thetruth is oft misunderstood.

Thoughthe outside blurs to black

Insidethere may still be good.

 

Meekness

Ihave no desire to inherit the earth.

Thissheepish docility gives me no peace

Ina dog-eat-dog fantasy

Waitingto pounce with the

Surenessof sunrise that springs from the east.

 

Yetmodesty does claim

Thepoise of enlightenment,

Tenderedwith reticence,

Bracedby a pause,

Withfeathers unfettered and

Voiceclear and calm, 

Alertand proficient to

Sidestepthe beast.

 

Butdon’t confuse meekness with

Gesturesof weakness

Whenmortals demure from the norm.

Youmay be surprised by

Thefire in their eyes

Whenthe table is set for the feast.

 

Magnanimity

Itis an altruistic breeze that

Ferriesstreams of charity,

Abountiful calliope of open hospitality.

Andshades of magnanimity give rise

Togenerosity til I am you,

Tilyou are me, a blending of humanity.

 

Andwisdom grows what kindness sows

Toflourish in the afterglow.

ForHeaven knows ‘tis apropos

Tomeasure beyond quid pro quo.

 

Toview the show from high plateau

Andwatch the goings-on below

Wherefire and ice trade lethal blows

Andnever flow simpatico.

 

Theheart and mind reach far beyond

Thepremise of a magic wand,

Soall may bare their pedigree

Inwaves of magnanimity.

 

Loyalty

Forty-sevenyears should count for something.

Forty-sevenprecious years of staunch fidelity,

Supportand devotion to you, my one and only,

Aconstant, steadfast case of loyalty.

 

I’dlike to say we’ve had a pretty good run,

Morethan many,

Morethan most. More to come.

Wantso much for us to age together,

Andthis is much too soon.

Muchtoo soon.

 

Youhave been my one true life companion,

AndI your ever-faithful devotee.

Throughshifting tides we’ve

Traversedrestless oceans

Andstood our ground with fierce integrity.

 

AndI will be there when the battle’s over

Totake your hand and keep you safe and warm.

Aloyal friend, a faithful true companion

Offeringcalm shelter from the storm.

 

Love

Arriveswith unexpected ardor,

Glowsin multi-colored lights.

Itfawns and flairs with fragrances

Thatrise and fall in symphony.

 

Whereit dwells is veiled in secret

Elsewe taste its origin of

Sweetrepose, gentle breeze and

Heightenedambiguity.

 

Isuspect that when it tumbles

Mountainscrumble to the sea,

Obstaclesretract, expand in

Aspectof fragility.

 

Onlyknow that as it grows

Innurtured fields of sacred trust,

Alldelights within the heart

Reciprocatein harmony.

 

Hateand discord scar the soul with

Emblematicagony.

Onlylove and simple grace

Canlead the way to ecstasy.

 

Knowledge

Wisdomknows no magic bullet,

Instantaccess or easy trail.

Itgrows along a thorny path

Withwalls and fences to encroach.

 

Andknowledge breeds the building blocks

Thatrouse the march to clarity, and

Experience,the bitter pill, is

Sagesavant beyond reproach.

 

Withstarts and stops and two treads back

Onstairs and steps and stumbling blocks

Toleap and learn through trial and fault

Andmake the puzzle pieces fit.

 

Growingexponentially to

Feedthe need of will and want,

Knowledgeis a paladin

Whoseuniverse is infinite.

 

Knowledgewaxes on through time

Whereinsight marries reason,

Andwe are mete more than fair share

Tolearn in our brief season.

 

Kindness

Kindnessis a gentle friend

Whosesilky voice floats soft to soothe

Disquietears, comforting

Thetroubled flesh, the hardened core.

Owningnothing, giving all to

Reachacross the great abyss,

Headingevery utterance,

Theplaintive cry of those in need.

 

Kindnessclaims no bounty, asks

Noransom, wage or tariff fair,

Butoffers bounteous rewards

Immeasurablein currency.

Acaring word, a hand to hold,

Acherished heartfelt memory.

Thesimple act of being close

Forone whose ship has lost its sail.

 

Kindnesskeeps no score on grace,

Itseeks no recompense,

Butbathes itself in tolerance

Andwillful charity.

Andif in giving time is lost,

Itwill be time served well

Toreap the golden gain of its reward.

 

Justice

Rightis right and

Truthis truth but

Justiceknows no earthly bounds.

Likeeagles high above the fray

Withvision far beyond profound

Itsearches with integrity to

Finda common middle ground

Andgive a sense of order

Tothe plan.

 

Lifeholds no fairness guarantee,

Thoughkarma forms a welcome friend

Inevening the field of play

Whenbroken lives are on the mend.

Andkismet rides a golden steed

Toslay the dragon and defend

Theinnocents who cannot

Takea stand.

 

Butjustice wields the final sword,

Andall must feel his weight.

Itwill not falter in its faith.

Itwill not abdicate.

 

Joyfulness

Withpure delight I dance with glee

Inwishful geniality

Amidstjocund hilarity

Ofmirthful merriment.

 

Besidethe shores of stormy seas

Theneed for laughter beckons me

Tofind the heart of gaiety

Sooften Heaven-sent.

 

Thejaunty joviality of

Simplefools like you and me

Mayseem a triviality,

Butthat would be a lie.

 

Disseminatingcheerfulness

Becomesa never-ending quest

Thatany eye might manifest

Andnone may quick deny.

 

Agiddy gladness buoys hope

That“Gloomy Gus” will learn to cope

Andsavor the kaleidoscope

Thatfills the soul with glee.

 

Andjoy will sing a merry song

Invitingall to sing along

Sohappiness can join the throng

Andset the spirit free.