It lay open

The portal had no barrier

no key, no lock, no door

Inside was partly obscured

against the light outside

I moved forward but

not with trepidation

Rather a silent invitation spoke

with encouragement

There was an absence of fear

as I crossed the threshold

Into a dark warmth

a womb of familiar welcome

Inside passages formed a web

around an inn...

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The Cowl

For centuries their head was covered by the cowl

as the brothers heard the cry of a distant owl

Compline's last verse prayed in whispers

by those who wore sandals and slippers

The dawn brought light and the bell of Lauds

as the devout put on their habit and tied cords

To chapel and psalm in gregorian continuity

they began the day in true fraternal community

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Life is not here

I had searched for justice

But it was nowhere to be found

Reason had escaped me completely

So I went after trust but it came to nought

My wanderings were futile

As also seemed my very existence

Perfection and order lay crumpled

In the ruins of desolation and destruction

Yet I could see beauty everyday

In an abundance all about me

Landscapes cr...

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A Battle Fought

Sadness lies in its beauty

a splendour lost to tears of despair

Abused and disfigured of no recognition

by its custodians

Groups of vandals and thugs tarnish

our land with vile smears

Their desire to wage wars 

long since already fought

to acquire wealth at all costs

Sea beds littered with the 

skeletons of sunken warships

Oil thick black sl...

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Utterances of Wisdom

It can arrive unexpected

unannounced , around the corner

of daily life

Words often spoken softly by another

or a sign open to interpretation

Or in a darkened room in

the depths of slumber

A voice quietly spoken

with no apparent identity

of its own

But distinctive and with words of

brevity and relevance

The soul and senses need to

...

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By Which we are Known

The face expresses our identity

windows of who we are

The smile a signature unwritten

the eyes the mirror of the soul

The eyes betray sadness

and lighten with joy

They flicker in surprise

and stare in amazement

An itchy nose twitches

the eyebrows rise in wonder

The mouth agape is awestruck

a forehead with furrows of consterna...

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