Midnight Lullaby
by Michael R. Burch
I.
A measureless rhythm rules the night—
few have heard it,
but I have shared it,
and its secret is mine.
To put it into words
is as to extract the sweetness from honey
and must be done as gently
as a butterfly cleans its wings.
But when it is captured, it is gone again;
its usefulness is only
that it lulls to sleep.
II.
So sleep, my love, to the cadence of night,
to the moans of the moonlit hills'
bass chorus of frogs, while the deep valleys fill
with the nightjar’s shrill, cryptic trills.
But I will not sleep this night, nor any …
how can I—when my dreams
are always of your perfect face
ringed by soft whorls of fretted lace,
framed by your tear-drenched pillowcase?
"Midnight Lullaby" has been set to music by the award-winning New Zealand composer David Hamilton.
Keywords/Tags: lullaby, lullabies, music, musical, song, child, children, childhood, baby, babies, midnight, night, rhythm, sleep
pristine sharp cornered brown box garnishes excitement
we rip him open with anticipation
new merchandise has been delivered!
this box is repurposed for sorting, carrying, hauling, storing
left out in the rain, the box looks sad and sorrowful
we could fold him flat and put him into our dumpster
Or we could burn him up
He has lost his usefulness
difficult to remember now what he brought in the first place
All gifts must be given to sustain their usefulness.
Like blood, life is in the flow, if not flowing, blood dries and dies.
Movement, the constant changing, sustains the life of all living entities of creation.
The Sun gives energy that sustains life on Earth.
It renews itself every night by sharing the job
of lighting the Earth with the Moon.
This enables it to burn in full force in all its brilliance each morning.
As humans, we are given gifts, not to possess, but to give or
share with others.
If not given are shared, the gift loses its source of power and dies.
Like love that is not given or shared dies within us.
Like God’s first gift to man, the breath of life, man can share this gift
through the propagation of mankind.
The more adaptable we become to change, the more we are given.
Sharing our gifts of life, love, and awareness with others
gives us our purpose in life.
Whilst algebra for many is so poorly understood
At school I put the effort in and I became quite good
Three apples being equal to a carrot and two pears
Was obvious, for camels are a donkey and two hares
A bicycle without a wheel was equal to a boat
But take away an apple and you’ve got a mountain goat
Though if you multiply an orange by a seedless grape
The answer’s twenty six and a recurring hairy ape
Who knew that one banana added to a coconut
Might equate to seven minus half a water butt
But, hey, I passed exams that say I’m clever as can be
Two peaches plus an aubergine will not befuddle me
The usefulness of algebra is difficult to see
Unless you need to prove six plums are very nearly three
But what I learnt of algebra I never did forget
Though now I’m ninety seven… and I haven’t used it yet
How fortunate that I, correctly versed,
knew hand-grenades are passive. At their worst,
they maim and kill. But this is interspersed
with usefulness: defenders have no thirst
for carnage. Since the enemy had first
used violence, they had to be dispersed.
It fell to me. How often I’d rehearsed
in nightmares what came next, how often nursed
this killer in my hands. Like Damien Hirst,
I knew that I was certain to be cursed
by those who only see a shark immersed
in urine, not a work of art. Lips pursed,
I threw my bomb, and squatted, for I durst
not look upon the mayhem, when it burst.
The USA Election
The near future is catching up
the American presidential election
is looming
This time, there is talk of a woman,
who has charmed many with her
furious laughter
The mystery is that she has no plan
on how to rule, other than revert
to socialism and spend more money
And there is a formidable man, a survivor
of two assassination attempts, the sane
hopes will win
He, the grizzled old fighter, has on his
side two knights of the realm, who
will try to change America
One of them will tackle a colossus
identity, the pharmaceutical industry
tame it until usefulness
The knight, well past his youthhood
has a glorious family background
shining bright in recent history
The younger knight, an entrepreneur
is, on a mission impossible, to rein in
his country's enormous debt
How the young knight, is going to
stop the economic leakage; we shall
skeptically watch his endeavor
Rapunzel’s feeling down, braids hanging.
Bells in her long hair, loudly clanging.
A prince longs to climb her bound tresses.
The ding-dong warns the witch, confesses.
The royal in youthful usefulness, in love,
Catches witch off guard, won’t use kid glove.
These days, Rapunzel’s more grounded,
Cut off braids, as wedding bells sounded.
One might say
they have found a gemstone
among the ocean
but it is quite more than that
weathered
tattered
tumbled by the ocean's currents
it's history speaks
transformed by nature's hand
it's brokenness has outlived its usefulness
as it comes to his final resting place
up on the beach
hidden by millions of san granules
like a diamond in the rough
so to speak
-to me
it represents my love of the ocean
it's ever-changing tidal conditions
that have washed the treasures of years gone by
it takes me back
to shipwrecks and their treasures
and the time it has taken
for this beautiful sea glass to emerge
in the end
it's a renewal of their presence
forgotten but now found
as my curiosity has gotten the best of me
June 9 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Job 32-34
Key Verse – Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO INSPIRES US
Praise be to God for inspiring us:
Giving us understanding
Granting to us usefulness
Gearing us by His uprightness
Governing us with His upholding
Guiding us against untimely unions
Job 33:12 Praise be to the Lord
for being the greatest with His:
Wise ways
Worthy will
Wondrous works
Watchful wellness
Winsome warning over wickedness
Job 34:23 Praise be to the Saviour for
making us delight ourselves in His:
Victory and valour
Values against vanity
Virtues for our vibrancy
Veracity against vagueness
Voice vouching valid ventures. Amen!
June 9, 2024
Usefulness is only deemed by someone who needs it
You made me feel useful
For once in my life, I meant something to someone
Whether that was using me or not, I don’t care
You seem happy with him; I wish I were him
Right person wrong time, didn’t know love was our antonym
Tell me what you despise, or don't, it might lead me to my demise
How could you hate me, do nothing but berate me
Falling doesn't seem so bad when you have someone falling with you too
Finding solitude in similarity, a common ground of misfortune
There are no other words I can think to say
I love you
I miss you
I hate what you did to me
I don't understand why you did
I’ll never get an answer for any of those questions
The next best thing I can do is assume your intentions
I’d make up a fourth law of motion
To give you the whole ocean
Because blue is your favourite colour
I’d grab you a handful of the constellation
Even if you saw it as a measly donation
You deserve the world, as I’ve said before
That world doesn't need to include me, an afterthought will do
From the inspired text of the Biblical story,
The Wisemen opened unto Jesus their treasures.
This Christmas, what treasures have we for Jesus?
Most of us do not have gold, frankincense, or myrrh,
but we all have a treasury of something that God desires.
Let's consider a few of the prospective valuables we possess;
Things that really are more valuable than the Wisemen's treasury;
valuables dear to us that we heavily guard and deeply treasure.
I suggest that giving such things to Jesus makes us more like him.
Our Time
Our Religion
Our Education
Our Ambitions
Our Success
Our Usefulness
Our Relationships
Our Egotism
Our Self-interest/Self-image
Competition is weakness
Check yourself and speak to your soul
You need no confusion
Just understand your value
Develop your worth
And keep your usefulness intact
If you have a competition
Let it be with yourself
This is not a lie otherwise
You are a product of weakness
Competition is weakness
I don't need no competition
Instead I need co-operation
Instead to fight for the best
I prefer to be the best for myself
I need no approval to be better
I just need me to make me
The best version of myself
I don't want to be on your roll my friend
I am blessed with my time
So give way for togetherness instead
Of fighting for a mere champion
I have always known that my best
Competition is with my self
Cos I have grown to realize that
All we fight for we can live without them
I refuse to be a product of weakness
So take the championship and
spare me the competition
I need no weakness in my domain
My heart is soft like fragile clay
To bend and move within Your hands
Emotions grow, then fade away
As life is changed by Your commands
For You alone, O Potter, can
Make usefulness from my weak clay
From dust and ashes You made man
You made me who I am today
And as You wisely fashion me
And I am changed by what You say
Unchanging truths You show to me
You leave impressions that will stay
And these impressions strengthen me
My clay is hardened–starts to stand
As You continue molding me
How glad am I within Your hand!
So blessed am I to be transformed
Into Your vessel, pure and clean
That all the wonders You preformed
Within me might be clearly seen
Baby you mean the world
to me
not doubt about it
I want the world to see
We talking love
comittments
and obligation
love me honestly
love me honestly
noble thoughts
thrilling reflections
positioning me
into a lovers usefulness
to disagree
would leave me rejected
keep you close
what we have together
we start to protect it
exicted in my own mind
to speak
I love you
a husbandry natural
wrecked of loneliness
I never wanna be like that
the hunger and want
to the rendering of us together
early insights
to say you'll leave me never
I can truely say
in candor truth and being sincere
I love you
is something
I need to hear
From Blue skies dark nights
by Matthews and Driggs
Composed by Fendt Ludovico
and Calow Ludovico
some appears from
"Warm Jacket: Cold Woman"
performed by Mittez and Doodle Music Company
The Stirling Castle flowers speak
To those who stop their feet and mind walking
And declares in honesty the verity of the corporeal soul
Among the insects who fill the air.
The Queens of the Castle though colourful, beautifully crafted, fresh, scented, celebrated and majestic
Will enjoy a short reign
Before they fade in the summer Sun
But the shortness of their reign
Does not traduce their glory and usefulness.
But the invisible soul smells the new life won
Sees the hope in the beauty
Hears the sound of the Chief musician
Feels the joy of the Producer.
And has Royal ascent to lounge and play
For the dancing Composer calls the tune
Tends His garden
Protects His field
Provides for His guardians.
When these Queens pass,
Next season, new proclaimers will be appointed,
And continue to personify the beauty of Him.
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