Tag Archive | looked

A Fast And Powerful Prayer

Those who claim that they’re not insane probably are
And vice versa. Those who think that they’re of ill mind
Really aren’t. There’s a middle ground where I reside.
My own character defects no more can I hide
From myself nor all others. I’m no longer blind
To the sins I’ve committed. It feels most bizarre.

“You’re busted, disgusted, and not to be trusted,”
Says the blue book about me and my drunkenness
And because of my neediness I’m a tough nut
To be cracked. I’m reminded that I don’t know what
The hell I’m doing most of the time. I confess
That my bad attitude needs to be adjusted.

Once a Jesuit priest named Father Joe Riley
Gave an answer to the question, “What’s the shortest
Most powerful prayer in the world?” He replied,
“That would be, ‘Fuck It!’” meaning don’t worry your hide
Over small stuff. His answer succinctly expressed
Is effective. It may be the best thing for me.

In an instant the weight of the world is lifted
From my shoulders as I pray for total release
Of the things I can’t handle. I’m able to see
What I’ve done with my life quite a bit more clearly.
The surrender contributes to my inner peace
As the whole of my mindset has now been shifted.

Student Of Life

Dec30

I struggled not with English or math as a child
Nor with getting along with others but I did
Have a problem with holding still. I always would
Tap my fingers and fidget. As hard as I could
I would try not to do it. I couldn’t get rid
Of my habit which many a teacher reviled.

I would do it unconsciously. Teachers would say,
“Stop your tapping, Clint. You’re disrupting the whole class.”
I got sent to the principal many times and
Because he wasn’t me he could not understand
My aberrant behavior. In those days my glass
Was near empty. To myself I wanted to stay.

I believe that a single moment in time can
Change a person’s life in a most positive way.
One day my teacher told me to stay after class
And I thought, “This is it for my fidgety ass.”
But it turned out that he had something kind to say
In our time spent together. He was a good man.

“Clint, have you ever thought about playing the drums?”
He asked me. I had never been asked this before.
Reaching into his desk he pulled out my first set
Of drumsticks. It’s a moment I shall not regret
For today I’m doing what I simply adore.
From the kind heart the blessing of upliftment comes.

Never Look Back

Oct5

There’s a part of you that cannot ever look back.
It’s your inner being – the spirit within you
That can only look forward as you lag behind
In the past or the present. Even if you find
Some delight there, your spirit desires something new.
Of the past your inner being doesn’t keep track.

Your inner being distracts you from what’s back there
Because that’s really old news. What’s manifesting
In the present is neither of interest to
Your spirit and you can tell what it wants to do
By the way that you’re feeling while you’re requesting
Clarity. What you want is to be more aware.

Spend less time analyzing things and just do more
Romping and laughing with your friends knowing that you
Don’t have to look for trouble. You can’t weed things out.
It will only create more confusion and doubt.
From the past there is nothing you can apply to
What’s becoming and all that is worth living for.

The only battle going on is between you
And your own inner being and you are the one
Waging battle. Your inner being just says, “Hey,
You told me that you wanted to have a great day
And I certainly can help you to get that done.”
May you become accustomed to its point of view.

I Am That

Aug11

What’s the purpose of living? It’s to recreate
Ourselves anew in each moment and the greatest
Version of you becomes your most perfect ideal.
“Who Am I?” The question has the definite feel
Of a yearning. A call for knowing is expressed
From the pit of the soul. The answer you await.

Who among us has not looked up at the night sky
At some point in our lives and asked, “Wow! What is this?”
What’s my relationship to it all? Who am I?”
We can spend a great deal of time wondering why
Things are the way they are. We just cannot dismiss
Our inquiries no matter how hard we may try.

“I Am that I Am,” saith the Lord. But is there
Someone who can tell me exactly what that means?
It’s one heck of a statement. If I understood
What it meant certainly it would do me some good
But right now it reminds me of Twilight Zone scenes
That I watched as a child. They gave me quite a scare.

But the fear is in my heart. I can understand
That if I simply see everything as a part
Of myself and all things a part of the grand whole
Of all that exists, it brings relief to my soul.
I Am That I Am, really. From deep in my heart
I Am everything from the minute to the grand.

About Gratitude

Jul30

Accustomed to the pavement and looks of disdain
From each passerby, one must compartmentalize
Feelings of desperation, shame, and hopelessness
From the art of the sale, as the face must express
Sincere need. One must hope people will sympathize
With their circumstance. This is what drives one insane.

Homelessness of the body, like that of the soul
That has lost its connection to reality,
Is a problem that people encounter each day.
People wish that the issue would just go away
But it won’t. It’s a part of our society
That in some basic ways is way out of control.

At some nook on the freeway the human billboard
Holds the message that cannot be well understood.
We don’t want to be interrupted from our own
Many issues. We won’t throw the poor dog a bone.
Trying to stuff the guilt doesn’t do any good
Because we’re not as practiced at being ignored.

Yet there are success stories. There are people who
Have reached out in a big way. Anyone can be
Faced with hard times. People who deal with homelessness
Work for others’ compassion. They are nonetheless
Worthy of being happy. Those who don’t agree
Have some gratitude issues they should attend to.

The Magic Realist

A Poet's Path

Tag Archive | looked