Culture

  On to Better Days In this 250th year of the USA, this nation of 340 million goes its way....

  Self-Exploration The furthest shores within my mind are lands whose sands I must explore— becoming a conquistador; to do...

  Victory With darkness cast on fertile lands, The men took muskets in their hands And wives took charge of...

  The Cristero Centennial In Mexico a hundred years ago, The government forced secularization. Its liberal politicos roared “No!” To...

  A Potpourri of Aphoristic Verses   Confronted with the truth, some will embrace it, While others, sadly, will refuse...

  A World Without the Wednesday Child "Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace. Wednesday's...

  China Made She sits before her grey machine, _knits, cottons, or brocade; with sweating she begins to sew _to...

  The Savage Moon The clouds... Tonight they hide her, but she’s there: A savage, ghostly horse without a rider....

  When Opportunity Knocks “Opportunities are like flies. We kill most of them.” ---Roy E. Peterson We all have heard...

  Legend of the Griffin Akin to giants of Greek fame _Who ruled the ancient world, He held the minds...

  Advantages of Restaurants Food quality has dropped, Price rises have not stopped, Selections are decreased, Most portions aren’t a...

  On the Death of One Too Young to Die It’s been some years now but the month is still...

  This Too Shall Pass "Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word...

  God’s Funeral "When George Eliot complimented Spencer on the lack of wrinkles on his forehead, he replied that nothing...

  Star Festival The legend of the love of a heavenly weaver girl and an earthly cowherd was recorded in...

  Solitude Bright Venus, crescent moon, faint pearl-gray sky obscurely light the scene. A giant dolmen prostrate, astride huge boulders:...

  The River Not Taken ---after Robert Frost The sloop’s main sail was hoisted tight But in the fog I...

  "In God Is Our Trust" ---The Star-Spangled Banner Where were those words, those hallowed words, “In God We Trust”...

  Confession It’s not so much the telling of my sins (The inner battle stations I’ve assigned To flesh and...

  A Paradox They're all too sharp and bright. Sedulous kids. Rich parents raised them. Teachers, old and wise, preserve...

  A Prayer of Aristotle "Anyone who wonders whether we ought to honour the gods needs a whipping." ―Aristotle Our...

  The Sparrow It started in the dark and early hours. Kyiv—asleep, enjoying blissful dreams. Then missiles streaked. Explosions. Debris...

  Chemo Refusal Doctor’s gown off. He looks again. Goes tough, speaks plain: "It’s back. Aggressive. Don’t deny. Without the...

  Deliverance Upon the bank, this waters wave, _And beckon you, "Come wade." You step into the chilly stream _And...

  Rain I felt like walking in the rain, _Can’t say exactly why. I make great efforts in the main...

  The Story of a Plague I sorrow at the darkness of the news Of mortal pestilence and storms of...

  People Forget "Being unable to cure death, misery and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not...

  Good and Evil The professor was so proud Of his knowledge and his theories. He loved to prod his...

  Who Hears a Robot's Prayer?   I. He said the stones themselves would start to sing But no one...

  Rasputina Confers with Her Cohorts “Rasputina” is the feminine form of the Russian name Rasputin. He of course was...

  Warfare by Remote Control Babies are screaming from the night time sky, preventing sleep amidst the blasted homes; twenty-four...

  The Lessons of Lot How long had my watch lasted at the city gate? For days (or weeks? or...

  Impressions How often are impressions deemed profound, Accepted fully, carried all around, And stated with assertive satisfaction, From merely...

  A Strange Sun The ships sailed up the river’s mouth, Against a steely, clear-eyed gale, Far from the vineyard...

  The Man from China The man from China struts around D.C. And silences the chatter about tariffs. He says,...

  The Ballad of the Ghost Mountain Boys ---to the “Ghost Mountain Boys” of World War II— especially the Iowa...

  The Threat of Virtue Falun Gong, which has faced persecution since July 20, 1999, has three main principles: Truth,...

  A Poet at the Tower Ah, what a perfect, golden, autumn day. The headsman’s brought the bearded ax, I...

  Florence Foster Jenkins “A Jenkins recital was never exactly an aesthetic experience--- only to the degree that an early...

  The Gold Star Mother “Dear Mom, Dad, Billy and Baby Sis, It’s rough out here but I’m with some...