social justice
Sorrow for All
A world made for peace
Accursed by the pride of men
Sacrificed in greed
And the tears of our children
Foreshadow sorrow for all
written in response to this Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge #31 – ‘peace’ and ‘tear’
The Wall Crumbles Still #NaPoWriMo2017 #GloPoWriMo2017
Of history’s walls
None proved more ineffective
Save to rally mobs
Obsolete as built
Unfit for useful purpose
Divisive folly
The wall crumbles still
Allegorical symbol
Relic of its age
For Day 26 of Na/GloPoWriMo2017, NaPoWriMo.net challenges us to consider what future archaeologists, whether human or from alien civilization, will make of us? Today’s poems should seek answer that question, exploring a particular object or place from the point of view of some far-off, future scientist.
Sharing the Fruits of our Labour #NaPoWriMo2017 #GloPoWriMo2017
For six years sow your fields
and harvest the crops,
During the seventh
let them lie unploughed and unused;
Do the same with your vineyards
and your olive groves;
Then the poor among your people
may get food from it,
And the wild animals
may eat what is left;
For the seventh year is to be
a year of sabbath rest,
A sabbath to the Lord.
When you reap the harvest
of your land,
Do not reap to the very edges
of the field,
Nor gather the gleanings
of your harvest.
Do not go over your vineyard
a second time,
Nor pick up the grapes
that have fallen:
Leave them for the poor
and the foreigner.
I am the Lord your God.
The Na/GloPoWriMo Day 22 prompt at NaPoWriMo.net challenge us to write a georgic. The original georgic poem was written by Virgil, and while it was ostensibly a practical and instructional guide regarding agricultural concerns, it also offers political commentary on the use of land in the wake of war. The georgic was revived by British poets in the eighteenth century, when the use of land was changing both due to the increased use of enlightenment farming techniques and due to political realignments such as the union of England, Scotland, and Wales. The georgic can be a simple set of instructions on how to grow or care for something, but it could also incorporate larger themes as to how land should be used (or not used), or for what purposes.
The lines above draw inspiration from the laws given to Israel and recorded in the bible’s Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus.
From Harmony to Sacrilege
Original deep harmony
Fallen into discord
Sinful rebel homogeny
Disregarding God’s Word
Oppressive world hegemony
Promotes rich privilege
Merciless sociology
Man’s selfish sacrilege
written in response to today’s prompt at The Daily Post
Wilberforce #NaPoWriMo2017 #GloPoWriMo2017
Politician, philanthropist
Moral champion, abolitionist;
Misspent youth, reformed reformer
Charity founder, anti-slaver;
Wilberforce, humanitarian
William, humble Christian
The NaPoWriMp.net official prompt for Day 10 of Na/GloPoWriMo2017 is to write a poem that is a portrait of someone important to you – I have always found William Wilberforce to be an inspirational historical figure.
Courage for Compassion
Pause to consider
Our moral obligations:
The greater the wealth,
Great responsibility –
Find courage for compassion
written in response to today’s prompt at The Daily Post
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
― Mark Twain
Be Extraordinary
Resist the ordinary . . .
Hungry men seek food,
Sick men healing – none the less;
After meals or cures,
Ordinary lives persist,
The ups and downs still await
Yet not faint promise
Of economic reforms,
Social justice brought,
Though heaven on earth must wait,
Loving neighbours pleases God
. . . be extraordinary
written in response to today’s prompt at The Daily Post
Fear Trumps Compassion
Hearts and minds grow cold –
Unrighteous controversy;
Fear trumps compassion,
Hearts and minds close rebel ranks,
Rejecting the call to serve.
God’s commands are clear:
Love the Lord, reject idols;
Humbly serve others in love;
Speak truth, and honour Jesus –
Behold, His Kingdom is near.
written in response to the prompt at The Daily Post – “controversy”
The ‘Impure’ Banished
The ‘impure’ banished
Seek rest in arid places
Return seven-fold
“That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
– Matthew 12:45
written in response to today’s prompt at The Daily Post, and drawing upon concepts from Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 12:43-25
Faith Unlocked 