#46: Preachers and Magicians

Lofty words and slight of hand

The stage, the lights, complete command

The mark, the sell, a trusted brand

Foundation built on sinking sand

Fanciful illusion or cheap parlor tricks

Throw it at the wall, see if it sticks

The audience loves you, their getting their kicks

Their broken hearts aren’t yours to fix.

Words aren’t meant to misdirect

But you right here look oh so perfect

Honesty and truth, I cannot detect

Bottom line, theirs cash to collect

If you go to a church, what is the primary message that your pastor preaches about? Hint, if it's not rooted in Jesus, it's not worth going to. 

#45: The Shadows

For me and people here in the United States, I pray that we can live up to the phrase, "land of the free and home of the brave." I pray that fear is not what drives our lives but boldness and courage instead. I pray that we do not ignore the issues at hand but face them head on.

You think you understand the world around you

You think tomorrows gonna bring another day

Your think you’re fine, you think you’re alright

You think everything is gonna be okay

But there’s darkness around you, you cannot deny

There are people hurting, who are going to die

Open your eyes, to the world around you

Look around for the things you’ve never seen

There are people weeping in the shadows

Who need hope, hope that you can bring

Syrian Refugees

For the Syrian refugees, I pray for that they can dwell in the shelter of the Most High. 

Psalm 91:1-9 Bible (English Standard Version)

1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say^a to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge

#44: The White Rose

"Since the conquest of Poland, 300,000 Jews have been murdered in this country in the most bestial way… The German people slumber on in dull, stupid sleep and encourage the fascist criminals. Each wants to be exonerated of guilt, each one continues on his way with the most placid, calm conscience. But he cannot be exonerated; he is guilty, guilty, guilty!”

— 2nd leaflet of the White Rose.

Have you ever heard of The White Rose? They being the German resistance group that defied Nazi Germany. They also being the chief inspiration for this weeks poem. Despite having a B.A. in History, I somehow had never heard of them until I heard the song "Holland 1945" from Neutral Milk Hotel's brilliant album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

As the song recounts the death of Anne Frank and her family, the final lyric goes, "And it's so sad to see, the world agree, that they'd rather see their faces filled with flies, all when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes."  As I began to obsess over this album, I began reading about the song's influences. Jeff Mangum, lead singer and writer of the song was asked if the final line of his song was a reference to the German resistance movement. Ironically, he had never heard of them but this White Rose piqued my curiosity.

I researched the White Rose and was fascinated by their boldness in the face of the Nazi Regime. This group of men and women distributed anti-Nazi pamphlets in Germany and were beheaded for it. They saw the madness around them and knew that their nation was doing something terrible. When they spoke out against it, they lost their lives. Today, they are considered heroes of Germany.

Sophie Scholl on Trial

Of heroism the world should know

Of freedoms light and how it can glow

Of resistance in the face of foes

Standing brave, is the White Rose

To think for them what sedition brings

Freedom took them to the guillotine

Their bloodless battle can’t go unseen

For all should know what the White Rose means

Huber, Graf, and Wittenstein,

In darkness they made freedom shine

Probst with Hans and Sophie Scholl

Made Germany ponder liberty's role

Amidst the backdrop of tyranny

Where the world would face adversity

They printed papers of freedom’s plea

To wake the conscience of Germany

In secret they would take freedom’s fight

With no worry of their individual plight

In death their faith was their delight

Liberty eternally in their sight

To wellsprings in life where liberty flows

Where the thinker can think before he knows

Of rights and wrongs as goodness glows

Honor is the place of the White Rose

#43: Not Afraid

This was written from the middle first, then upwards/downwards from there. I wanted to try and capture that bipolar feeling. Everything that moves upwards from the middle is that awesome feeling, and everything downwards from the middle is not so much. 

If you want to feel happy, start from the bottom and finish at the top. If you want to feel crappy, start from the top and read downwards. 

Not afraid
Got it made
Early Rise
Eyes on prize
Born to run
Having fun
Close friends
Keeping trends
Steady Job 
Heartthrob
Feeling fine
Tow the line
Educated
Medicated
Inebriated
Agitated
Feel like trash
Energy crash
Heart hurts
Skipping work
Odds and Ends
No friends
Dark days
Fuzzy haze
Black sheep
Cannot sleep
Pulled shade
So afraid

#42: Your streamers fall in the dark

You've lived a life that’s dishonest

You’ve preyed on the meek and the poor

It’s gotten you to the top of the mountain

But you forgot who you are at the core

You might have accomplished a little

You look like you’re feeling real good

But you might be getting too big of a head

Doing the arrogant things that you did

You celebrate all your successes

You threw a parade in the park

But no one really cares what you’ve done

Your streamers, they fall in the dark

Your parade it seems pretty pointless

The equivalent of the life that you live

All the things you’ve wanted you’ve taken

Never considering of what you could give

CM Punk's last ROH show

Now this poem is not about CM Punk (former Pro Wrestler) in any way but this picture was the best to illustrate streamers falling in the dark. If you follow pro wrestling, you probably have heard of him. If you don't, then you're probably thinking wrestling is stupid and fake, which is true, but also two of the reasons why pro wrestling is so fascinating.

I would say this poem is pretty self explanatory. If you have reached the pinnacle of success, are you a better person for it? Did you reach the top by knocking others down? Does anyone else care that you made it? If you're celebrating your success and nobody else cares, did you really succeed then?

#41: The Moon in the Sea

On this quiet sandstone shore

The stillest night I've known

A moon above

A moon below

They both call to me

I cannot touch the sky

The moon that flies above

It’s unreachable

But this moon below

Floating? Sinking?

I do not really know

It looks like I can get there

I’ll dive in to the sea

I’ll swim there

I’m there

But it’s not there

I’m there, I’m nowhere

We all have plans of where we want to go and what we want to do with our lives. But we must ask ourselves, is what I'm planning and hoping for rooted in reality? Am I swimming to a moon that does not exist? 

Its funny to think that reaching the moon in the sky is even possible. But we've been there. I'm sure millions have dreamed of going there, millions have studied how to get there, and eventually, we made it there. But the moon in the sea, we'll never get there, because it does not exist.

#40: My King (Part 4 of 4)

Here is the conclusion to My King. 

The paintings in each post are by Korean artist Kim Ki-Chang. Each painting depicts Jesus in Korean culture. 

Below are the links to the first three parts if you haven't read those yet. 

Part 1          http://aalmike.blogspot.com/2015/09/37-my-king-part-1-of-4.html

Part 2          http://aalmike.blogspot.com/2015/10/38-my-king-part-2-of-4.html

Part 3          http://aalmike.blogspot.com/2015/10/39-my-king-part-3-of-4.html

Ascension of Jesus by Woonbo Kim Ki-Chang

My King (Part 4)

In the faintest of night I heard the quietest call

To return to the place where I saw my king fall

At first I must admit, I was quite scared

What of the demons, that didn't want me there?

The voice was reassuring, and said with tenderly care

There is no danger in that land, there is nothing to fear

I expected the cave to be dark once again

But I came upon a surprise when I reentered in

The once rocky cave now lined with pure gold

Flowing honey and wine, a sight to behold

There was music and dancing, joy in the air

Fanciful clothing, with pomp and with flair

The cave was the location of a beautiful banquet

There were patrons prancing about, the enemy vanquished

I did not understand, I couldn't believe what I saw

Were these the hopeless souls that were too weak to crawl?

“Redemption, Redemption!!” the former prisoners chanted

“The evil in this land has been forever supplanted”

I looked at the walls, not a shackle in sight

What could have turned such despair into delight?

A man heard my question and said, “Don’t you see?

Our king conquered death, our king set us free?”

I looked down the hall, and behold, His throne!

So majestic, so glorious, of beauty unknown

I looked to see if my King was around

But soon could see he was nowhere to be found

At least not in the palace and not in plain sight

“Is he off to a new land, a new battle to fight?”

“He has gone off to show the world what grace is

To turn guilty eyes into innocent faces

To set free more souls bound by their sin

To let them start over fresh once again

Before he left them, he cast a most glorious vision

Of a kingdom of love, with freedom its mission"