Remembering my neighbor Paul Allen

He gave us Windows to our world.
A real Trailblazer, he.
A 12th man for the team he owned.
King of philanthropy.

Paul Allen was the kind of man
who gave his wealth away.
He Vulcanized his tireless staff
to find a better way.

He looked for answers to earth’s ills.
Paul’s heart beat for the poor.
He funded dreams. (That was his dream).
He opened locked-up doors.

Seattle is much cloudier
with Bill Gates’ partner gone.
But thanks to Paul, the world will find
more options come the dawn.

Check out…

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/blogs/faith-and-values/2018/oct/16/greg-asimakoupoulos-tribute-neighbor-i-never-knew/

The transgressions of youth and social media follow us

If ever there was any doubt…
“Be sure your sins will find you out.”
Behavior back in high school
can derail your grown-up dreams.

An Instagram or Facebook post
can turn your resume to toast.
And photos taken just for fun
can rob you of a job.

The choices that we freely make
can turn the tide and leave a wake.
We can’t undo what we have done.
We reap what we have sown.

A timely question

Excuse me. May I be so bold
to ask about your past?
In high school did you drink beer with your friends?
Did you do some things you now regret
that no one would suspect?
If so, how can you judge another’s sins?

And what about your current life?
What secrets do you hide?
What would the FBI reveal as true?
Would your best friends and your colleagues
be appalled at what they find?
So, who are you to judge what others do?

Perhaps this is the perfect time
to look into the mirror
acknowledging you aren’t who others think.
You have the means to change your ways
and claim God’s cleansing grace
that charts our lives in pencil not with ink.

An amazing comeback for a disgraced golfer

Tiger Tiger burning bright
in the forest of delight.
Woods of metal, shafts of steel
vibrate with the joy you feel.

As you prowl the comeback trail
stalking fairways to prevail,
does your hunger fuel your fear
that your prey might disappear?

Tiger, Tiger, can you hear
those who love you as they cheer?
Can you hear God cheering, too?
Grace means we can start anew.

REF: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger

Attempting to make sense of a senseless claim

Bert and Ernie are not gay.
No matter what some writers say.
They’re best of friends who love striped shirts.
Don’t read between the lines.

For fifty years this Muppet pair
have modeled what it means to care.
Although quite different, they are proof
that opposites attract.

They pave the way on Sesame Street
to show us what is kind and sweet.
And though they sometimes bicker,
these good buddies give and take.

Why must you make them poster kids
for same-sex causes? God forbid!
Don’t rewrite history just to make
these puppets speak for you.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/18/entertainment/bert-and-ernie-not-gay/index.html