Edward Scissorhands - Ice Dance

I became a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors; and they of my acquaintance were afraid of me; and they that did see me without conveyed themselves from me.

 -- Psalm 31:13

Love

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me go slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,

If I lacked anything.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:

Love said, You shall be he.

I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,

I cannot look on thee.

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

Who made the eyes but I?

Truth, Lord, but I have marred them, let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

My dear, then I will serve.

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:

So I did sit and eat.

-- George Herbert

Discipline

Throw away Thy rod,
Throw away Thy wrath,
                O my God,
Take the gentle path.

For my heart's desire
Unto Thine is bent:
              I aspire
To a full consent.

Not a word or look
I affect to own,
               But by book,
And Thy book alone.

Though I fail, I weep:
Though I halt in pace,
                Yet I creep
To the throne of grace.

Then let wrath remove;
Love will do the deed:
                 For with love
Stony hearts will bleed

Love is swift of foot;
Love's a man of war,
                And can shoot,
And can hit from far.

Who can 'scape his bow?
That which wrought on Thee,
                 Brought Thee low,
Needs must work on me.

Throw away Thy rod;
Though man frailties hath,
                Thou art God:
Throw away Thy wrath.

-- Andrew Marvell

The Long And Winding Road

Authorship and Intent

I've been asked a couple of times about the poetry I've been posting, so I've added bylines to all of my own. The others already have them. Sorry, I thought it was obvious that the ones without attributions were original.

For convenience's sake, the ones I wrote are:
It Wasn't Love at First Sight (http://randomrantandramble.blogspot.com/2014/06/it-wasnt-love-at-first-sight-not-that.html)
How Long? (http://randomrantandramble.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-long.html)

An Aquired Taste (http://randomrantandramble.blogspot.com/2014/06/an-acquired-taste.html)

For an Unnamed Lady (http://randomrantandramble.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-mystery.html)
For my First Love (http://randomrantandramble.blogspot.com/2014/05/for-my-first-love.html)

As to why, well...to begin with, I'm a writer. And writers write. Very often, they write about what's on their minds or in their hearts. And, quite often as well, they want to be read. Just as a musician wants to be heard, a painter wants to be viewed, and a dancer wants to be watched. It's the nature of the beast. And since I have a few actual friends who genuinely care about me and what I have to say, as well as either liking, or being kind enough to say they like, my writing, I put some of it on my blog for their enjoyment and my satisfaction. There's something cathartic about it, as well as about blogging in general: like keeping a journal, but with the possibility of its being read by others (but without the awkward, "Hey, will you read this and tell me what you think?" moment).

On the question of "for whom?", well, I can't say exactly, as it might embarrass them. What I can say is that all but "For my First Love" are for the same girl; that that one is for, obviously, my first love, for whom I carried a torch for something like twenty-five years, all the way through a bad marriage to someone else, and until I fell for the person about whom the others were written; that that person is NOT Amanda Shires; that she has told me I mean nothing at all to her; and that we currently have a very awkward, painful, and uncomfortable relationship (and, for the awkwardness, discomfort, and pain I've caused her, if any, I am truly sorry). But I love her all the same, as true love is unconditional. I know that some people can't handle genuine unconditional love, but that's their issue, not mine, and if someone is constantly trying to turn pure love into something ugly, then the question is not what is wrong with me, but what is wrong with him. I do everything I can to leave her alone completely and make absolutely no romantic advances or gestures, though we can't really avoid seeing each other. But this is my blog, and it's about what's on my mind, and if she, or others who think they're acting on her behalf, are here reading this, then that's their own choice: no one is forcing them to see what I've written. Not that I mind--she or anyone else is perfectly welcome to read what I post here. But if what they see upsets them, then they should also feel perfectly welcome not to read it.

Graham Nash - Simple Man

Mercy!

"Mercy! Mercy! Even if you are only one more dream, have mercy. Take me on board. Take me, even if you strike me dead. But in the name if all mercies do not fade away and leave me in this horrible land."

-- C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Psalm 13

How long wilt thou forget me , O Lord; forever?
How long shall I seek counsel in my soul, and be so vexed in heart?
How long shall my enemy triumph over me?
Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God; lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death; lest mine enemy say, "I have prevailed against him": for if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it.
But my trust is in thy mercy, and my heart is joyful in thy salvation.
I will sing of the Lord, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me; yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord Most Highest.

It Wasn't Love at First Sight

It wasn't love at first sight

Not that you weren't beautiful
You were
And I told you

But it wasn't an erotic attraction by which I was drawn to you
It was something deeper
mystical
sublime
mysterious
As if I'd always known you

The first time we met, we talked like old friends
in the way that people have whose souls operate on the same frequency
And I found myself soon counting the days
until I could see you again

But still, it wasn't that kind of love

When I first loved you, it was in spirit
For in our shared love for Him
I found a spirit like my own
but better
For you taught me more perfectly to love Him
You showed me the deep, rich beauty of His Universe
and made me to feel
for the first time,
Joy

Like Beatrice, you led me by the hand
ascending the celestial spheres
laying before my eyes the wonders of Creation
of which you are the most wondrous
But pointing me ever upwards
toward the Light to which all other lights are darkness

I could have loved you eternally
as my most precious and lovely sister
But I found that there was more

For I found you to be a fellow-denizen of Faerie, as well as of Heaven
We were connected by the Secret Thread
We loved the same books
and pursued the same ideas...but not exactly
There was difference enough for you to challenge me
And you did
For you had both the wit and the courage to do so
It charmed and excited me
And I loved you with the deep and true respect of a friend
which one can only have for an equal

We sat, one evening, side-by-side on the sofa
your dear mother in the chair beside
and I thought,
"This is dangerous
 and far too comfortable
 If I'm not careful, I'm going to fall in love
 and that will do no one any good."
I tried to draw away from you then
but it was too late

It happened one morning
another conversation
You sat across from me...
leaning forward...
your face intent...
your eyes alight...
And suddenly you were the most beautiful
the most desirable
the most impossibly alluring woman who had ever lived

My very taste changed
and from that moment forth all women's beauty
was measured by the degree to which they reminded me
of you
Indeed, there is no other woman
for through you I see all others
You are the type and the original
the Platonic Form
and all others are copies
some more, some less imperfect

But none
Anywhere
Ever
Like you

-- M.S. du Pré

This one, either

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride: thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride! how much better is thy love than wine! and the fragrance of thy perfumes than all spices!

Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon.

A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

-- Song of Songs 4:10-12

This one I didn't write

Tell me, ye merchants daughters, did ye see
So fayre a creature in your towne before;

So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she,

Adornd with beautyes grace and vertues store?

Her goodly eyes lyke Saphyres shining bright,

Her forehead yvory white,

Her cheekes lyke apples which the sun hath rudded,

Her lips lyke cherryes charming men to byte,

Her brest like to a bowle of creame uncrudded,

Her paps lyke lyllies budded,

Her snowie necke lyke to a marble towre;

And all her body like a pallace fayre,

Ascending up, with many a stately stayre,

To honors seat and chastities sweet bowre.

Why stand ye still ye virgins in amaze,

Upon her so to gaze,

Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,

To which the woods did answer, and your eccho ring?

But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,

The inward beauty of her lively spright,

Garnisht with Heavenly guifts of high degree,

Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,

And stand astonisht lyke to those which red

Medusaes mazeful hed.

There dwels sweet love, and constant chastity,

Unspotted fayth, and comely womanhood,

Regard of honour, and mild modesty;

There vertue ranes as Queene in royal throne,

And giveth lawes alone,

The which the base affections doe obay,

And yeeld theyr services unto her will;

Ne thought of thing uncomely ever may

Thereto approch to tempt her mind to ill.

Had ye once scene these her celestial threasures,

And unrevealéd pleasures,

Then would ye wonder, and her prayses sing,

That al the woods should answer, and your echo ring.

-- Edmund Spencer; from Epithalamion

An Acquired Taste

Beauty of the common sort

is like last week's chardonnay--sweet, but bland

quickly drunk

and as quickly forgotten

But every now and then,

perhaps once in a lifetime

or twice, if a man is fortunate,

he meets with a woman

whose beauty is like a great Burgundy

deep, rich, complex, sublime,

full of character and texture,

each drop of which must be relished slowly

with discernment and savour

whose sharp acids and strong tannins

are inherent to its appeal;

but, if drunk too quickly,

bites the tongue and burns the throat

Such a woman,

she whose beauty is real

and invisible

shines with a mystical light,

like the glow of pure gold

The light of Faerie--

radiant with colours that cannot be seen by mortal eye

Those who have it not

paint and gild themselves

and hate those who do

But flash and sparkle are not light

Glitter and rhinestones are not jewels

But even among precious gems
thou, my love, art a Silmaril
Even among fine wines

thou, my love, art a sip from the Grail

-- M.S. du Pré

"The Lord seeks a heart full to overflowing with love for God and our neighbor." -- St. Seraphim of Sarov

Ubi Caritas

Translation:



Where charity and love are, God is there.

Christ's love has gathered us into one.

Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.

Let us fear, and let us love the living God.

And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

As we are gathered into one body,

Beware, lest we be divided in mind.

Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,

And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

And may we with the saints also,

See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:

The joy that is immense and good,

Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.

Let Us Love One Another

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God Dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed that love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him That he who loveth God love his brother also." -- 1 John 4

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." -- John 13:34-35

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." -- John 14:21

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." -- John 14:23

"...right now, on this very day, ask forgiveness of those you've offended, and offer it to those who have offended you. Be reconciled, if you can. Don't live as if you have all the time in the world, because you don't." -- Rod Dreher

The Neighbors Come for a Visit

I saw one of these cubs a couple of weeks ago, and wondered when I'd see the mother. It seems this one somehow found his way into my (unused) chicken coop, and got stuck. Mommy couldn't figure out how to get him out, and was beginning to panic. She and the other cub kept going over to a tree and starting to climb it, then looking back at the stuck one, as if they were saying, "Look, just climb the tree. Like this, see?"

After watching (and filming, for you) for a while, I decided that the only decent thing to do was try to help. So I went back inside, got dressed, and grabbed my rifle. The plan was to scare the mother away, using a shot into the trees if necessary, long enough to grab the cub and get him over the fence. Yes, Mother, I know. Breathe. But I couldn't leave him stuck and scared like that.

Remember, kids, don't try this at home. I've had years of practice being an idiot.

No need to worry, though, because my presence alone was enough to frighten the poor little guy into a frantic effort to climb the fence, and the little family scurried safely away into the forest. Sorry I couldn't get that part on video: I thought I needed to be attentive to what I was doing once I got close to them, and not distracted by trying to film it.

The Scarlet Letter

Psalm 88

O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

O let my prayer enter into thy presence, incline thine ear unto my calling;

For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit,

and I am even as a man that hath no strength;

Cast off among the dead, like unto them that are slain, and lie in the grave,

who are out of remembrance,
and are cut away from thy hand.

Thou has laid me in the lowest pit,
in a place of darkness, and in the deep.

Thine indignation lieth hard upon me,
and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me,

and made me abhorred of them.

I am so fast in prison that I cannot get forth.

My sight faileth for very trouble;

Lord, I have called daily upon thee,

I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.

Dost thou show wonders among the dead?

or shall the dead rise up again, and praise thee?

Shall thy loving-kindness be showed in the Hades?

or thy faithfulness in Hell?

Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark?

and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?

Unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and early shall my prayer come before thee.

Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul,
and hidest thou thy face from me?

I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die;

even from my youth up, thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind.

Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me,
and the fear of thee hath undone me.

They came round about me daily like water,
and compassed me together on every side.

My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me,

and hid mine acqaintance out of my sight.

"Nature discovers her secrets and yields her treasures only to diligent and thoughtful labour."

-- Andrew Murray