Behind the glass a painted sorrow gleams;
The eyebrow lifts on cue, the voice is torn;
Indignant tears arrive in practiced streams,
And outrage ships out fresh with every morn.

What passes here for honest human speech
Is counterfeit, stamped smooth to pass as true;
Each hired tongue commands a market's reach,
Each face a sum some quiet ledger knew.

So once a mouth was rented in the dar...

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When, rapt, the soul contemplates secret things,
A silent beam doth pierce her to the core;
Yet what she feels no other eye e'er brings
To light, though speech should labour evermore.

Deeper than speech is Silence, where unknown
The Nameless best is known, past mind and sign;
Leave thou a thread, or none: the choice thine own;
Some truths lie best entombed in Dark divine.

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Save me, my Saviour, by Thy Grace alone,
Not by the deeds my sinful hands have done.
Thou willest me to save: Thou knowest well
The way to rescue me from death and hell.

Save me as Thou wilt, as Thou canst, as Thou knowest;
By Thy known paths, Thy saving mercy showest.
Upon Thee, O my Lord, I set my trust,
And to Thy holy will my spirit I adjust.

Do with me what Thou wilt; Thy will...

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1. There was a father whom the Lord had blessed exceedingly, giving him, of His grace, a land goodly and wide, from the mountains even unto the sea, that his house might dwell therein together, and call upon His name.

2 And the father dealt justly with all his children, giving to every one his portion, that none should lack, and none should say, My brother hath robbed me.

3 Now certain of hi...

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Blessed love can never be despair, 
For the Creator knows the heart’s hidden prayer —
Even words the lips refuse to bear.

The thoughts of men are fleeting, vain, 
Chasing dust, a dying flame. 
But Heaven’s law stands firm, untamed — 
Like stars in a soul unstained. 

Nothing is darker, nothing as dire, 
As spurning the light of God’s own fire, 
And calling truth a fleeting shade 
That...

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To the soul that is proud, dark demons appear,
Whispering lies—that it’s holy and pure,
Or they plunge it in deep despair,
Saying salvation will never be there.

Who prays with a heart still sullied by pride
Sees demons arise where the saints should reside,
Taking bright forms, as if clothed in light,
To drag down the soul into endless night.

Without humble awe, none may approach Go...

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in the brink of death

You opened my eyes

and held my fading breath

when the jesters gathered

to make a spectacle of my ruin

You cast them out of my sight

i played this borrowed life

with blood upon my hands

laughter painted red

and hair painted in gold

yet You loved me

as though i mattered

as though my name

had never been forgotten

may these...

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Hellish waves have embraced me
To the depths of my soul.
The abyss takes me away.
My soul has become thin and weak.

Oh, my God, my God!.. Don't leave me.
Inhaling You, I exhale contrition
In the killing reflection of stars.

Let all words become non-existent,
Like burnt comets,
Like fallen leaves, let all words decay,
Turn into scattered ashes...
And only Your uncreated Word will...

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Four doodles using one colour-blue something or other.

Chopin wrote twenty-four preludes, which were not preludes to anything, and he got away with that!

I've called these doodles preludes, because that's what they are.

I painted the four pictures whilst on holiday a week or so ago, purely as part of a creative “doodling” exercise.

I have just written these Haikus as a reponse to ...

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Dear Lord of mercy and order,

You who shaped the constellations

and placed every heart upon its rightful path—

hear me.

You have destined me a man,

steady as an oak,

a harbor built for my future.

In him, I find peace,

honor, and the promise of a home.

But another soul tempted my spirit—

a lightning in the dark,

a soul I touched only in passing.

Not min...

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I wandered through the endless night
In silence where time hides its light
The stars, old friends, so wise and true
Whispered secrets the wind blew through

A sea of shadows, longing deep
Where past and solitude would sweep
Each step a verse, a gentle rhyme
Each verse a prayer, a fleeting chime

I thought of love, so far, so rare
Like rivers flowing, always there
In your gaze, the worl...

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 I yearn for Him

Head between my knees

Bowed deep in prayer.

But words get stuck in my throat 

My thoughts scattered, incoherent.

While my mouth moves, I know not what I say.

I murmur and hope He listens

Listens to the pain hidden behind my murmurs 

Listens to my heart's silent cries

The tears shed in secret

And the thoughts yet unsaid .

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Beneath the weight, I seek Your grace,
Reaching for a sign in this quiet place.
Exhausted from the trials I face,
All I ask is a moment of Your embrace.

Keep my hope from fading away,
Through the shadows, guide my way.
Hear my plea in the dark of night,
Restore my will, renew my light.

Open doors that seem closed tight,
Uplift my heart, make things right.
Give me strength to carry on...

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You saved them but then fell again,

the circle’s in the sky.

Divided fence and happenstance

don’t care if it’s a lie.

Tomorrow’s way fades into grey

and blue melts into black,

as silent sounds in crushing rounds

creep in for the attack.

An empty stage and crumpled page

bleed deep into your brain.

Don’t ever sleep. Don’t ever weep.

Don’t ever feel the pain...

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https://youtu.be/88kJd9PwVwY?list=RD88kJd9PwVwY

Here’s candle light

for our darkness;

here’s calming prayer

for our grief and pain;

here’s atonement,

healing separation;

their hands are joined in prayer,

I wait in dread, for them I fear;

de profundis clamavi ad te Domine.  

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֑וֹת מִמַּֽעֲמַקִּ֖ים קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהֹוָֽה

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He was not crucified for me,

And not for him, nor her, nor thee,

That gentle Jesus meek and mild,

Once graced our world, unknowing child,

In manhood, he in wisdom grew,

Spoke for the many, not the few,

He chose to face injustice’s sword,

And hypocrites with his spoken word,

They, who place burdens on the poor,

Which they can not themselves endure,

Those misery-made cr...

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OUR NEW NORMAL Life during a pandemic. Already change is challenging for most. If we had a choice or I should rather say, control things would remain the same, people's thinking would never evolve, but we don't have control over anything. Change is inevitable; it is an integral part of being human. Going about our lives blissfully oblivious believing that we are the captains of our destinies, then...

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These bloodless wounds will never heal.
Pray,
         "Father Time, save me."

I grow so weak as the not-blood spills.
Pray,
         "Mother Nature, cure me."

Brother wind,
Sister rain,
Rock me. Wash me. Make me clean again.

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without the hand of God to guide our way
we fall into despair and misery
and even though we may have lost our way
we'll see that God will hear us when we pray

if we think we haven't anything to say
and you feel there must be a safer way
if now is the chance for a sweeter day
then why not ask in secret anyway?

© Brian Hodgkinson Jr. (aka) Limericist 2021

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This boy this man this Angel of mine
I say mine
This you are not
To me you are
A possession
I mean it not in that way
I dont own you
I am part of you and you me too
Two
Two soles alight
Us two in flight
Or on sea..
We fly side by side
You sail with me
The water gets choppy
Weigh up the boat..trust the waves
They carry us float
In air
bypassing clouds
We share
Our faith soft gro...

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[ ] Never take a loss in your life, but a lesson learned. 

[ ] Respect, like money is usually not given, but earned.

[ ] Don't always stand on what you believe, but what you know hard & firm. 

[ ] To believe is not facts, but opinions that can be gaslighted, twisted, & turned.

[ ] Freeze the negative and let the positive burn.

[ ] Pray for guidance, understanding, & the sp...

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The Unknown Soldier’s Prayer

I could be your husband, father, son.

The lost bones of another pointless war.

A flag to drape across my resting place,

transported from a distant, hostile shore.

I could have been a tinker, tailor, thief ,

lying here for a century and more,

those passing trades mean little to me - now

the angry guns have relinquished their roar.

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In churches Gothic or

Norman the pious had them blessed by

Light from stained-glass as the perfume of

Incense attended their angular

Descent, while brave Lancelot's were

Housed in chain-mail and in

Modern times Marilyn took two to her

Grave, as, just the other day, did

George Floyd, his neck the latest

Pew for genuflection by a serving

Police officer who though no dou...

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Lord mold me into 
the loving person
you created me to be. 

Help me praise, 
instead of complain.

Smile, 
instead of frown.

Look up, 
instead of down.

Reach out to the lost,
so they can be found. 

Amen.

https://youtu.be/YNqo4Un2uZI

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He fools everyone
and I fool myself
in my secret life.
 
Makeup hides the bruises
in my secret life.

Distractions abound  
in my secret life.

I smile, laugh, cry, drink 
the pain away
in my secret life.

Food fills the gaps of despair
in my secret life.

I pray for salvation
in my secret life.

Hope for a better tommorow remains 
in my secret life. 

# # #

https://youtu...

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TinCap’s log. Stardate: nowish.

Knowledge:

pen dinging

Theory:

Energy from a big bang churned in a sun for billions of years & several seconds ago launched earthward at the speed of light & deflected off stuff & hit my optic nerve which sent chemical-electrical signals into my neural network generating my experience of seeing an apple hanging on a tree.

Other energy - x-rays, infare...

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You ask if I believe in God...
How can I not?

To deny my Father
means I leave my existence
to some 30 year old predator
who impregnated a girl half his age
and left her to raise their child
in the wilderness, among wolves 
that feed on loneliness and despair.

Without my Father, I would never know
that after suffering comes deliverance,
pain leads to compassion,
forgiveness breaks b...

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Oh, Good Lord, y’all, I thank we better git in the house. That sky is darker than Brother Jimmy’s sermon last Sunday, and it’s flashing like a God-damned disco. It’s gonna be a gully washer, all right, but Ronnie’s got the big truck if we git in any trouble, and we can surely trust Jesus will be with us. The last time we had a toad strangler like this, a big ol’ twister turned Alma’s roof inta too...

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I choke on the word spirituality.

Not so much on the reality

but the sometimes solitary focus

on the ethereal, mystical, and utterly

invisible. I lose my way in the mist.

My spirit hums closer

to the ground, often emerges

with mud on its face. It scrounges

truth among the mushrooms and

lichen. Peels off labels from

discarded tin cans, and there among

the roaches an...

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Make it easy. Do it simple.

Just pray for God, to bless.

Love colleagues, & friends.
 
Surely, you gain a higher success,

Do it now, don't delay it.

Do it again, day by day.

Get that job, reach the top.

Not impossible, just try.

Do advise, every friend.

Shiny future, comes at end.

Do your best. Now, get rid.

Of any weakness, at any wind.

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I DON'T THINK, OF YESTERDAY.
 
LET'S TO THINK, WHAT IS TODAY?
 
SUN COMES, ALWAYS, BRAND-NEW.
 
WHY TO SEE SUN, AS GREY.
 

I LOVED YOU, SAME AS YOU ARE.
 
I BEG YOU KEEP YOUR PAST, AWAY.

I DON'T ASK, I DON'T CARE.
 
NOBODY IS BLAMELESS, EVERYDAY.
 

HEART IS OPEN, COME AND SHARE.
 
I NEED TO HEAR YOU, JUST SAY.
 
TOMORROW IS COMING, AS A SHINY DAY.
 
I LOVED YOU TOO, LE...

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A Prayer for the Living

Pray that your living be thus:

A journey fulfilled, not forgotten,

a place for the touching of souls, not Mammon,

to freely forgive, and bear no malice,

a mind at peace, never roiling in anger -

and room to grow, not retreat or wander,

with no pangs of envy for the birds as they fly,

but to drink in the indigo boom of the waves

as they c...

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You're reaching out.

You're pleading.

Hands to the sky,

Heavy heart beating.

Knees to the ground,

And the rain falls.

Peace couldn't be found,

So you put up these walls.

In an empty broken place,

Never a smile on your pained face...

And you let the darkness sink in,

When all you needed was ONE friend,

But time and time, over again,

No one was there for you in...

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As I pass beyond my summer wall

Once more the land embraces my spirit

And its silence becomes my prayer

While I and heaven hear

The wind whispered psalm

As dusk caresses the tree tops

That surround my field fane -

I walk slowly through its grassy nave

Lost in my old memories

And pause at the far gate:

The sun sinks low behind me

And my long shadow stretches out in ...

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Bend all ears oh My worshipers!
Your heyday has come.
The time when thee are invited by Me.
Each one solely.
Bestir to commemorate Me.
Rise to advance towards Me.
Stir up to acknowledge Me.
Wake up to bow before Me in supplication.
I am at hand to thee,
At this point of time.
Considerably closer than any other hour.
Take a single stride towards Me,
And I shall sprint in thy route.
Put...

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A boy asked God

"Could you please
give me patience? "

God to the boy

"I will send to you challenge! "

The boy to God

"I think we are not
On the same page
When I asked
You for patience
It is not for  a change! "

God to the boy

"Patience presupposes hassle,
In the remoulding
Process to render you
Tolerant and gentle!"

Boy to God

"Yes hassle
To change
The pee...

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a peaceful warrior

next week

I’ll make a mark

to show my choice

and there will be

no hate

no fear

no injustice

In that decision

it will be

for the future

for the greater good

it will not be

for brutal killers

bigots

racists

terrorists

from over there

or right here

it will be everything

but that

it will be

fo...

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I was kind of hoping,
That you would come along,
Like the answer to a prayer,
And the music to a song.

Like the kind of thing that happens,
At a special place and time,
That will change our lives forever,
Like a fantasy of mine.

The fantasy was there before,
I ever knew your name,
And now that I have found you,
We will never be the same.

So, pardon, if I look at you,
Forgive me ...

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The Crooked Beast At The End Of A Crooked Path

I saw him rise like a dark spectre
in the clouds
at the end of a crooked path
his horned head cocked
spreading his cloven claws
astride the graves that nestled
safe beneath the trees
his wings unfurling
across the sky
and gathering in
the long dead souls
beneath the ground
and I thought
I heard the demon say
“I told you I would not fo...

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God save you from uninvited sadness

that  knock at the windows at blind  nights,

from sweet cheats that seem to be happiness

but then …. as an enemy smites.

God save you from unneeded advices,

from  insulting libels, from vain expectations,

from those who pretend to be friends

and then …. go with denunciations.

God save you on the non shallow ro...

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I pray for all my friends,

I pray for the one who love defends.

I pray for those who warmed my heart,

I pray for that one who keeps apart.

I ask our Lord to send them all health,

I ask my God to bring them all wealth,

I ask my Angel to protect them from a fall,

To listen to: for whom the bells toll.

I would love your cup to be always full.

I...

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