MaddogPoetry

Practice Kindness

“I am so anxious that you have

an invincible kindness”[1]

Show all sincere esteem

Give all the kindness

of gentleness and patience.

What joy we will live!

What blessedness we will have!

For kindness begets kindness[2]

What holds us? It’s love.

Bound by God’s love

Our hearts beat as one in the Spirit

Kindness begets peace and harmony

regardless of race or creed or orientation

even peoples with competing goals.

So, in kindness we deal true

Yes means yes and no means no.

As we deal, so He deals with us.

If we want mercy, we must be merciful.

If we want pity, we must pity.

If we forgiveness, we must forgive.

Kindness is integrity with mercy

Kindness is justice with compassion

[1] Father Judge Meditation page 120

[2] Ephesians 4:32

Norms

To go my own way

is to follow a path,

the path requires

practice and commitment.

To be on the way

is to be in the way.

The path is a way

to find the way.

To follow –

asks my heart

to attune,

tells my mind

to listen.

Ignoring the path:

dooms harmony,

destroys trust,

does harm.

I am not alone.

At turning points,

shared wisdom

promotes Us.

My way is unique.

The way I walk

is part of the continuum

of possibility.

To walk hand in hand,

to be shoulder to shoulder,

I must pay attention

to the way.

The way it’s done

is not absolute.

It is open to change –

I will never be the same

Creed

“I believe…” is faith without doubt.

“I believe…” is not a statement of fact.

The truth must be shared. It is the idea

I live and die for. It is in dialogue.

Faith is not enough, belief fulfills us –

beyond space and time, right here and right now.

Our creed’s avowal fosters harmony,

encourages peace, and creates oneness.

Our self resists a change of course,

Our God insists on a change of direction.

“I believe trees”.

We share the earth –

sustaining our life and contributing beauty.

“I believe elephants”.

We share zeal –

finding new paths to walk together.

“I believe whales”.

We share the seas –

defying exploitation instilling awe.

“I believe us”.

We share the air –

breathing in life, breathing out love.

“I believe you”.

We share the wind –

the breath of God embracing all always.

Wellness (Psalm 23)

Our Lady is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

I rest assured with Her in green pastures,

She leads me to placid pools,

She restores my soul.

She guides me with flawless bearing

to be renewed and refreshed.

even though I walk

through the valley of naughting,

I will not abide in the House of Fear,

for you are with me;

with a tender embrace

you comfort me.

You give me graces and blessings

in the presence of everyone.

my angels keep me safe;

my cup overflows

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of Love

forever.

Maulbeck Psalter (Volumn 1) now available on Amazon

Way

Too often, the manner “its” always been done,

becomes the One Way “it” can be achieved,

regardless of relevance and effectiveness.

Unfortunately, one’s failure to get it done

turns into No Way to make it happen,

despite obvious or apparent alternatives.

The path of least resistance leaves things undone,

and makes the Other Way attractive,

notwithstanding its impotence and weakness.

Those who espouse “I get things done”

tend to suggest the HighWay;

if you’re not with them.

Obstacles reduce the chances of ever being done,

and let things In the Way stop progress,

and ignore opportunities to improve.

“Let it be” realizes whose will be done,

truth is the Way for “all is good”,

love is the Way to be one and done.

Goodness (Psalm 4)

Here I am, hear my plea, O my God.

I feel abandoned and all alone;

I even wonder why you would listen to me

be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

How long, must I live with these indignities?

Is my life full of delusions?

Am I lying to myself?

My Lady has set herself apart and will not embrace me;

She is not answering when I call to Her.

I repent, and I am not angry

I want to rest assured in Her love,

I search my heart and am silent

Yes, I am quiet and want to feel Her hug.

I practice goodness

and trust in Her.

Many are asking,

“Who can show us any good?”

I answer them

“The face of our God shines upon us.”

She has filled my heart with joy

She has provided me

with completeness and fulfillment.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, my Lady,

make me safe.

Next book featuring praying with Psalms coming in the next couple of weeks

Embracing the Cold

It was bitterly cold and made me shiver,

the prospect of enduring more made me quiver.

I buttoned up and ventured forward,

I braced myself and continued toward.

Going quickly was not the answer,

I had to slow down and embrace the cold.

A measured response of absorbing the chill,

makes it possible to inhale Her will.

Regardless of temp, I talk the talk,

in withering weather, I walk the walk.

Blessedness (Psalm 1)

Blessed is the person

who attends to companions,

or follows the way of collaborators,

or joins the ecstasy of grace.

The faithful delight in our covenant with God,

and meditate on Her wisdom day and night.

The hopeful are like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season,

its leaf does not wither,

its branches absorb the breath of God.

Not so the disruptive!

They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore, the troublesome will not rest assured,

the faithful will have untroubled hearts.

the troublemaker’s fruit is perishable,

the hopeful She watches over

and they will endure forever.

my next book coming out in a few weeks is a collection of Psalms I have “rewritten” in my own voice