Virtue Is More Than Mansion And Great Wealth
If ones honor and word is not intact
What the hell ever else truly remains
Whenever ones word is considered fact
There exists no deep doubts no wicked stains.
Virtue is more than mansion and great wealth
It is the light, the truth, the commandment
So goes the truth, medicine for one health
When rights are guaranteed by government
Hold love and mercy to be way of life
Family a treasure its meant to be
Far, far more happiness instead of strife
Our nation a shining beacon from seas to sea
What does real freedom really, truly mean.
Is it far more than a mirrorlike sheen.
Robert J. Lindley, 6-13-2023
Sonnet
Deep in the woods of central Maine,
Schoodic Lake lies placid and pristine,
Its limpid, pure waters lapping against
Shores of boulders crowned with cedars,
Whose grey, writhen trunks and roots,
Clinging doggedly to the lichen-streaked stone,
Resist the winds from off the lake,
Resist the blizzards of countless deep winters,
Resist the inescapable ravages of time.
The waters of the lake are cold and clear—
As if newly born of distant melting glaciers,
Or gushing up from unseen springs, far beneath.
They say the lake is bottomless--
Its serene surface an expressionless face,
Beneath which tempests, passions unguessed,
Might bubble, and froth, and rage,
Before at last sinking out of our ken.
The lake, mirrorlike, reflects the tree-girt skies,
Rippling gently, and seems at peace:
But who can know what that visage hides,
Where, far below, those umplumbed depths
Conceal mysteries -- profound, immemorial,
Unknown, and ultimately-- unknowable.
April 4, 2019
The throat ran with little rivulets
Having travelled through dry sections
Head held high on mountains
Ahead was a rumbling stream
Showcasing a marvelous wisdom
Throats refreshed with the gift of a lifetime
Sitting by the lakeside in the cool evening
Imagine the beauty of the sunsetting
Its reflection on the mirrorlike water, breathtaking!
Listen to the mighty roar of powerful ocean waves
As it pounds against rocky shores
And up in the sky, dripping tears
What about the tumbling down of a waterfall?
Down over the rocks to establish a call
A curtain of white water on the wall
Sweet sensational taste of heaven
Providing fishes their haven
Loveable liquid, nature's guardian
Mermaids in tropical seas
Holding beautiful roses
Enjoying different lovely poses
Under its generous appearance
Flowers bloom in abundance
As green leaves joyfully dance
Give me some water
And I'll be smarter
A loveable liquid
A friend of all in its need
A best friend of all indeed!
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