The Grand Old Party needs a party planner
The Grand Old Party ain’t a party.
The GOP could use some cake.
It needs balloons and bright red streamers.
It needs a cause to celebrate.
It needs a person to unite them.
Someone who knows the ropes.
There needs to be a “party planner”
who can give them cause for hope.
Party time? Oh how I wish so.
Election Day ain’t far away.
But the elephants aren’t dancing.
It’s time we start to pray.
A plea to gun-toting parents
If you love your daughters and your sons,
you can’t be careless with your guns.
A weapon left in easy reach
can be the death of them.
The tragic news we’ve read about
should undermine whatever doubt
may yet remain concerning what’s
the loving thing to do.
A grownup gun is not a toy.
And little girls and little boys
can’t differentiate what’s what
except when it’s too late.
So please lock up the guns you own
before you hear your child moan
while bleeding out before your eyes
that can’t hold back the tears.
* http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017752432_shooting15m.html
Exposing the hidden thorns of “The Bachelor”
The search for finding lasting love
(as seen on ABC)
is good for ratings every Monday night.
But the stuff The Bachelor models
is quite toxic for young teens.
What it teaches them ’bout dating isn’t right.
How they drink booze just like water
sends the cue you need some wine
to converse and get acquainted from the start.
And the way The Bachelor makes out
with whatever girl he’s with
means there’s bound to be a lot of broken hearts.
Getting intimate with several
is The Bachelor’s dream come true,
but it cheapens what’s intended for “the one.”
“Kiss and telling” and comparing
undermines the myst-er-y
of discovering “what’s only just begun.”
And I ache for those rejected
who do not receive a rose
even after they surrendered innocence.
While The Bachelor has a fan base,
what it does to fragile hearts
is degrading and just doesn’t make much sense.
It’s more than an Academy Award segment
There’s that segment at The Oscars
where they take one final bow.
I’m referring to the ones who’ve passed away.
“In Memoriam” they call it.
One last chance to say goodbye
and recall the winning roles we watched them play.
And it always is quite shocking
to admit each one is dead.
When we watch their films, it seems they still live on.
But they’ve left us. And it’s final.
They aren’t ever coming back.
They’re not acting like they’ve died. They’re really gone!
In the movie we call Living,
death is written in the script.
Our lines may vary, but the plot’s the same.
We must leave our props and costumes
and be judged for what we’ve done,
when at last the Main Director calls our name.
Death is certain. It’s a given.
There’s no way we can escape.
But we need not fear the outcome when we’re gone.
There’s eternal life that’s waiting
for each one who’s claimed God’s grace
in anticipation of that day to come.
Why actions speak louder than words
“The Artist” is a silent film
with hopes for Oscar gold.*
It is a brand new movie
even tho it seems quite old.
There’s music, but no dialog.
The actions are the key
to making sense of what goes on
as we can plainly see.
The same applies if we feel called
to share what we believe.
To preach and quote the Bible
just might make our listeners leave.
Our actions matter more than talk.
Our doing trumps our words.
The former is received with joy.
The latter’s least preferred.
I’d rather see a sermon
than just hear one any day.**
The artist who can act out love
won’t need that much to say.
* “The Artist” is nominated for several Academy Awards this year. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/
** This phrase was borrowed from a line in a poem by Edgar Guest.
My Rhymes and Reasons 