the wilderness
She breathes beauty
Calls forth birdsong
And embraces all living things
Who dares pollute her body
Ravage her beauty
Defile her heart
And scar her eternal face?
She provides a place for us
Unto the millennia
She blesses us
With breeze and crystal waters
And blossoming trees
That give us everything we need to thrive
Who is this Gaia
This mother of all
This presence among us?
How do we thank her?
How do we respond in grace?
Psalm Twenty–five
1 Unto thee, O God, do I lift up my soul.2 O my God, in thee have I trusted,Let me not be put to shame;Let not mine enemies triumph over me.3 Yea, none that wait for thee shall be put to shame:They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without cause.4 Show me thy ways, O God;Teach me thy paths.5 Guide me in thy truth, and teach me;For thou art the God of my salvation;For thee do I wait all the day.6 Remember, O God, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness;For they have been ever of old.7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:According to thy loving kindness remember thou me,For thy goodness’ sake, O God.8 Good and upright is God:Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way.9 The meek will he guide in justice;And the meek will he teach his way.10 All the paths of God are loving kindness and truth Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.11 For thy name’s sake, O God,Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.12 What man is he that feareth God?Him shall he instruct in the way that he shall choose.13 His soul shall dwell at ease;And his seed shall inherit the land.14 The friendship of God is with them that fear him;And he will show them his covenant.15 Mine eyes are ever toward God;For he will pluck my feet out of the net.16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;For I am desolate and afflicted.17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged:Oh bring thou me out of my distresses.18 Consider mine affliction and my travail;And forgive all my sins.19 Consider mine enemies, for they are many;And they hate me with cruel hatred.20 Oh keep my soul, and deliver me:Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in thee.21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,For I wait for thee.22 Redeem Israel, O God,Out of all his troubles.
I pray to the Lord to lift my soul
But first
Let me hunt down terrorists
I know they’re there
With scarves around their faces
Bombs in their backpacks
And languages that make no sense
Except to them
I pray that former slaves
And heretics
Unhappy as hell
Move back to where they came from
And leave us alone
To own the earth
And possibly the sky
Show me the way, O Lord.
Teach me to be cunning
Like feral cats
And cottonmouths
Save me
From drinking too much
Driving too fast
Using too many drugs
And four-letter words
Lead me in truth, O Lord
And I will destroy your enemies
Bombs over Tokyo
Hurray
Good and upright is the Lord
He will teach the radicals
The way, the light and the truth
Or fair warning
they will be extinguished on the spot
The meek will he guide in judgment
The submissive will he teach his way
That would be us
Blind obedience
Our souls shall dwell at ease
Our seed shall inherit the earth
Yes, Ma’am
Psalm Twenty–six
1 Judge me, O God, for I have walked in mine integrity:I have trusted also in God without wavering.2 Examine me, O God, and prove me;Try my heart and my mind.3 For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes;And I have walked in thy truth.4 I have not sat with men of falsehood;Neither will I go in with dissemblers.5 I hate the assembly of evil-doers,And will not sit with the wicked.6 I will wash my hands in innocency:So will I compass thine altar, O God;7 That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard,And tell of all thy wondrous works.8 God, I love the habitation of thy house,And the place where thy glory dwelleth.9 Gather not my soul with sinners,Nor my life with men of blood;10 In whose hands is wickedness,And their right hand is full of bribes.11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity:Redeem me, and be merciful unto me.12 My foot standeth in an even place:In the congregations will I bless God.
Who judges me?
By whose standards?
Based on what?
I seem attracted to fools
And dissemblers
Otherwise known as phony baloneys
Is that because I’m bored
Or need to feel superior?
Why do I not concentrate
On light instead
And beautiful women
Both on and off screen
What about classical jazz?
Do I know what I’m talking about?
And politicians
Who are honest and sincere
A contradiction in terms
Putting myself aside
If that’s possible
I’m glad to be here
Present and accounted for
Waiting on someone
To rescue me
Maybe even from myself
My hope is in the Lord
Psalm Twenty–seven
1 God is my light and my salvation;Whom shall I fear?God is the strength of my life;Of whom shall I be afraid?2 When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh,Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.3 Though a host should encamp against me,My heart shall not fear:Though war should rise against me,Even then will I be confident.4 One thing have I asked of God, that will I seek after:That I may dwell in the house of God all the days of my life,To behold the beauty of God,And to inquire in his temple.5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion:In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me;He will lift me up upon a rock.6 And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies Round about me;And I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices