Challenging a double standard in the Oval Office

May I be frank? Though Franken fall,
our President cannot stand tall
and judge the guilty when he’s bragged
about his escapades.

A double standard? So it seems.
Those victimized have cause to steam.
The measure used to mete out blame
should be the same for all.

The day for reckoning has come.
For everyone, not just for some.
If Mr. Trump had broken laws,
then he should pay the price. 

Not the painting but the Person

The image of the Unseen
is a priceless work of art.
He’s a masterpiece of wondrous love and grace.
In this portrait of compassion,
you can see Whom angels praise.
We’ve a glimpse of God within this humble face.

The Savior of the world remains
a treasure to behold.
His value is affirmed today as then.
Appraisers who have met Him
forfeit everything they have
so to own what’s freely offered to all men.

I speak not of Da Vinci,
though his portrait is divine.
The image I am thinking of is Christ.
He is a living icon
who is worthy of our all
though falsely framed by Judas for a price.

So let me bid you take Him
while there still is time to choose.
Before too long we’ll hear the gavel sound.
Going once, then twice, then one more time
before your chance is gone
to own this One in Whom true wealth is found.

http://www.cnn.com/style/article/da-vinci-salvator-mundi-sale-christies/index.html

Lamenting yet another fallen hero

Another anchor bites the dust
and all because of carnal lust.
A newsman became news himself
as we turned on Today.

First Charlie and now Matt are gone
because the things they did were wrong.
Succumbing to an untamed beast,
they reaped what they had sown.

More stars are likely yet to fall
as those harassed at last tell all.
The iceberg’s tip is all we’ve seen.
I wonder who’ll be next.

But lest we simply shake our heads,
we’d best look deep within instead.
When we admit our weaknesses,
we can (through faith) be strong.

Celebrating Small Business Saturday in a very personal way

There’s an independent bookstore
in the town that I call home.
It is owned by folks who also live nearby.
It is where I see my neighbors
when I stop to browse the shelves.
And it warms my heart to hear them call out “Hi!”

It’s a place where people know my name
and ask about my kids.
They make me feel important when I stop.
Our bookstore is a fixture
in our small community.
It’s a destination where folks go to shop.

And while a book is cheaper
at a box store or online,
there’s something to be said for “mom and pop.”
The independent retailer
is what keeps towns alive.
So when you’re prone to pass them by, please stop.

This Saturday (or any day)
it pays when we invest
in local businesses right down the street.
Their future is dependent
on the dollars that we spend.
We are the means by which these stores compete.

*This poem was inspired by Island Books on Mercer Island. This small-town independently-owned business was just awarded BEST BOOKSTORE OF 2017 by KING 5 Evening Magazine.

Examining what’s been exposed in the rubble

In Hollywood an earthquake
has exposed a timeless trend.
The walls that hid men’s sins are falling down.
The aftershocks keep coming
as their victims voice their pain.
The seismic waves have rocked Sam Goldwyn’s town.

Abuse, it seems, is rampant
in a culture most depraved.
Those abused for years at last have found their voice.
And the pain we hear is piercing.
What was buried is not dead.
Those defiled have new life. They have a choice.

With the number who’ve been wounded
(knowing they are not alone),
those defiled can defend themselves with pride. 
Or they can (within the rubble)
point a finger at the cause.
There’s a fault neath La La Land no one can hide.