The Cathedral (Notre Dame)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

The Cathedral

 

She rises from the ashes

All our hearts must overflow

The tears we shed in sorrow

In pure joy we now let go

 

A monument to human grace

At the core of western civilization

A tribute to artistic achievement

At the heart of the French nation

 

She stands now for our resilience

The stubborn loyalty of our race

We refuse to yield to memories

The sacred beauty of this place

 

Notre Dame stands once again

Where she will stand for all time

Beyond the glory of mortal men

Beyond the beauty of all rhyme

 

She is the ultimate of our being

She is the heartbeat of our song

We hear her dancing and singing

And we must dance and sing along

 

(Re: Jean-Louis Georgelin 1948 – 2023)

 

Bombing Beirut

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: ISRAEL AT WAR

Bombing Beirut

 

The eldest of the elders still remember

When Beirut was Paris of the Middle East

Today’s Beirut is a river of tears

 

Once the envy of the world for its

Culture, art and ancient architecture

Now it is a wasteland of ruin

 

Once prominent on the list of destinations

For wealthy tourists from Europe

Today it is a forbidden city

 

Israeli bombs shatter the air in Beirut

For the crime of housing their enemy

 

Israel no longer remembers

The Paris of the Middle East

 

Israel does not remember its beauty

Or its once famed hospitality

 

Israel bombs its enemies into oblivion

History and Beirut be damned

 

Reaching for Gratitude (Thanksgiving)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Reaching for Gratitude

 

In the overwhelming times

Of dread and disappointment

The relentless days of gray

The dismal nights of longing

The endless drone of mourning

We extend our wanting arms

Our open palms of yearning

The simple grace of gratitude

 

I am grateful for the autumn bloom

Of bright and glowing colors

The oranges of Hieronymus Bosch

The sunsets of Maxfield Parrish

The colors of enlightenment

The forever changing earth

 

I am grateful for the friendships

I have built over the years

The ones who never turn away

Despite the madness or the tears

 

I am grateful for my family

What greater fortune can there be?

The warm embrace of family bonds

The strength of the family tree

 

I am grateful for good tidings

That warm our worried hearts

That single promise of forever

We will never be apart

 

I am grateful for so many things

Far beyond my reach or touch

For all the things that give me hope

I confess it’s all too much

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Heartless

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IMMIGRATION

Heartless

 

How do you tell a child

This world no longer wants you?

How do you tell a child

You must leave your home?

 

Millions of mothers and fathers

Aunts, uncles and grandparents

Must now have that conversation

To prepare for the uncertainty

Of the days that lie ahead

 

Juanita, you are not welcome here

Jose, it is time to go

Your friends are not your friends

Your teachers will not protect you

The police are now your enemies

They will take you from your home

They will place you in a cage

They will make you feel alone

Your family is your only refuge

There is no one else

It is time to go

 

Yesterday is yesterday

Say goodbye to all you know

All that was is no longer

What remains is a lonely road

 

The Chinese Hack

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: CHINA

The Hack

 

A weapon of war or the men in black?

A declaration of warlike intent?

Beyond all doubt the Chinese hack

Reveals a heart and motive bent

 

The Chinese have been our friends

In business and in trade

On them the corporate world depends

The nation’s workers we betrayed

 

In Xi Jinping we placed our trust

Now we’d like to take it back

Our good relations will go bust

In respect for the Chinese hack

 

China clearly wants to reign

Far beyond the Asiatic sphere

This hack will leave a lasting stain

That all the western world should fear

 

The global balance has gone wrong

The global train is off the tracks

We curse the powerful and strong

Strike back at the Chinese hack