QUARANTINE LIFE: POETRY PROMPT ---JUDGMENT

JUDGMENT

How confident they are in the decisions they make

Yet, they know the destructive games they play

Will spark dis-ease across the land

Their legitimacy no longer stands

It’s clear— they do not care

Any righteousness they ever had, is now a laughing matter

They see themselves as gods

Giving and taking away what’s not theirs to disseminate 

They become so confident in their own power

Every day and every hour, scheming to control the lives of others

As if liberty doesn’t matter

Disappointment’s everywhere 

Equality is yet another casualty of their compromised state

Corruption abounds in their ranks, yet

They’re tasked to decide what’s best, needed, or fair

Motivated by selfishness, ignorance, and hate

They fill the air with lies, and deceive themselves 

Oblivious to the consequences of the evil they’re heaping

Forgetting— the principle of sowing and reaping keeps all of its appointments

Their lives become consumed with the fights they start

They don’t understand why others won’t just accept less, or nothing at all

They want others to grovel and crawl, while they fatten themselves 

They reap the benefits of the labor of others

Do they know they are sealing their own fate?

Sooner or later, the points they debate will indict them

They know they are wrong 

But they’ve been taught for so long that others have no rights;

No humanity that they should respect

Too often, it’s in death that they reflect just how awful they’ve been

How the injustice they meted was, both, shame and sin

So they rewrite history

But the records of how they pillaged and stole

How they spent their lives making others’ lives difficult

Are ever present now 

They look for forgiveness and conscience cleansing

From those whose legacies they sought to erase; 

Who survived in spite of the tumult they placed and wove into every system

And they beg for the grace and mercy they never gave

Until the next generation comes of age, and learns the truth 

VRWc2023

QUARANTINE LIFE: ON THE JOB

Everyone makes mistakes, and encounters unforeseen circumstances. Some things aren’t mistakes, though, and can be quite predictable and avoidable. 

Maybe it was cute, funny, or quirky the first couple of times, but when ruining moments becomes an embarrassing habit in circumstances great and small, sentiments change, and passes are revoked. 

When people care, they prepare, study, and understand the assignment. Even accomplished, confident, competent people care enough to practice. 

The sad thing about resting in one’s own laurels, or not caring, however, is that it deceives you into thinking your actions are harmless, or don’t matter. In moments when the focus should be on ONE thing, it’s stuck in high-beam mode on another.

Consider, in spite of your resume, that not everyone knows who you are. Just because you might get a pass from the people who know and adore you, don’t let that stop you from, or make you averse to making an effort. Do your part. Ask yourself, “What is the least thing that I can do?” and at LEAST do that. You may find that, whatever that thing is, and the minimal time it takes, will make all the difference. 

If you cannot support or celebrate others; if everything has to be about you; if you must find a way to MAKE it about you, don’t accept the job. 

After the job is done, don’t let the only thing everyone is discussing be the mess you made of it.

Your own integrity and work ethic should eclipse the wishes, demands, or expectations of others. You know your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re recommended or invited, it’s either because of who you know, who knows of you, your reputation, or availability. It could also be because a first, or preferred choice WASN’T available. Even if your participation was a result of last minute scramble, no one will know or consider that if you fumble the ball. Do your best. Bring your A-game. What if their tools (supposedly designed to make the job easier) fail? You have to have your own.

Perhaps the occasion or paycheck is appealing, and is your only motivation to take the job. You STILL have to deliver. Pay attention to the principal thing. Don’t spend extraordinary amounts of time looking the part, that could be best spent learning the part.

What are people going to get when they call on you? Do they know? Will they regret calling? Do THEY care if the job will be done well, or are they simply counting on you to deliver? Whether it’s based on personal, past experience, or the recommendation of someone else, your performance today will determine your future participation— or tank any chances of it.

If you don’t think you can do a good job, aren’t prepared, are apathetic or apprehensive, are insulted by the parameters of the work, don’t have the time TO prepare, feel insecure, have reservations, or neither respect the organization or individual who hired you, don’t accept the job.  Don’t take it, complain, make a mockery of it, make excuses in the midst of it, and think it’s okay. EXPECT criticism and disappointment when you screw up.

If you know you’re not up to the task, let someone else do the job who will do it WELL. It’s not enough to just make an appearance or take up space.

Some things really do boil down to simply caring. 

QUARANTINE LIFE: TELEVISION

 

QUARANTINE LIFE: POETRY PROMPT---EARS

EARS

I am Van.

Van I am.

I do not like “ears” with the band.

I do not like them coming near.

I do not like them in my ear.

I do not like them falling out.

I do not like when there’s a shout,

Or other, random, piercing noise

My own ears would like to avoid

I do not like turning the knobs.

I feel like I am being robbed.

I want to hear the whole band play

Not pick and choose this goofy way.

I really think it’s just a look

Sound sneaks in and out like a crook

Somebody’s talking; saying things—

Meant for the horns! 

What’s happening?

Spending whole sessions wondering why

It’s hard to hear the other guy

I do not want to just hear me

I want to hear everybody!

Without that plastic in my ear

Making a mess of what I hear

I do not like the static noise

I do not like those silly toys

Give me a monitor, and then

Dedicate time to fix the blend

I do not like working the sound

As if no engineer’s around

Good grief! Don’t leave it up to me!

I’ll take them out for sanity!

I want to hear instruments ring

I want to hear the singers sing

I want to hear the audience

Those lousy “ears” make no darned sense

Why put something loud in my ear

When I can very aptly hear?

I want my ear canal set free

Of useless, wack technology 

I am Van

Van I am

I do not like “ears” with the band.

QUARANTINE LIFE: THURSDAY THOUGHTS

A Facebook friend asked why some people seem to sabotage all, or most of their relationships.

For some, it only takes one time to be wounded by a trusted friend, loved one, authority figure, etc. The fear of experiencing hurt again, prevents them from trusting others— even if there’s no sign of evil intentions. They just don’t want to take that chance again. Perhaps they’re questioning whether they can trust their own judgment anymore. They may feel they allowed themselves to be hurt or deceived, so, going forward, everybody is deemed guilty until proven innocent. No one gets close enough to deliver a repeat performance, and all engagements are temporary.

Some people are just afraid, and fear can manifest in lots of ways. The alleged saboteur’s hurt was, perhaps, deep. That fear makes them put up walls, set boundaries, misjudge, or misunderstand the intentions of others. They expect the proverbial shoe to drop. They look for cracks. Funny thing is, sometimes they’re right about the shady motivations of others. 

I wonder if hurt can jumpstart a keener observation, intuition, or even wisdom they didn’t possess before. The first sign of anything that smells like the inflicted of that past wound, and they’re out. Meeting adjourned. 

To everyone else it looks like self-sabotage when they see people decline opportunities, avoid relationships, or isolate. To the wounded individual, however, it’s self-preservation.

It’s baffling, hard to understand, infuriating, and even offensive to the one who is loving, trying to help, share, or be a blessing, but the best thing to do is, not get angry or critical, but pray that the hearts of wounded people don’t remain hardened and full of suspicion toward those who don’t deserve that. Pray that they don’t allow fear to rob them of life-changing experiences and healthy, positive, refreshing relationships. 

The discernment of Jesus gave him an advantage. He could read everyone. He peeped the snakes and the sheep. He wasn’t blindsided by the behavior of others as we are. He addressed people’s issues, and offered healing solutions that weren’t selfishly motivated. He extended grace. 

We should try that more often.

QUARANTINE LIFE: TELEVISION