Thrice - DCU

Drink deeply of my spring, waters clear blue - the bounty of kings.
I will guard and guide your way, Lady of the Lake am I.
Excalibur I have forged from the depths below,
Warding harm with a scabbard that heals every ill blow.
Merlin requested my involvement, who would refuse his command.
He was the original Sorcerer Supreme, though my nature was as quicksand.
Yet, King Arthur's life still was lost when he was betrayed.
Oedipal complex fueled by rage, Mordred born of Morgan Le Fey.
When he fell, I knew in my heart, and the sword was returned to the depths - a legendary lost art.
My mention in the English epic tale was doomed to few parts.
The truth of my role will die in the dark.

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Sniper's nest at the edge of town,

People sleeping below as creatures underground.

The gunman sights his target in night vision,

Waiting to strike with fatal precision.

The mark's routine was rote and well known,

His reign in the village was with a fist of stone.

His arrogance would cost him dear,

The hill-hidden man breathed steadily as the end drew near.

One twitch of a digit, the silenced missile flew,

Causing a final fit as the fatal bullet hit true.

The man on the hill repacked his kit,

The freed people below never to know who did it.

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What is the occasion, what of the day?
To honor the fallen, to remember the slain.
But even more so, that the anniversary so dear -
A capital friend's birth was marked a score to this year.
My companion and I have not been always,
There was a time in the middle when it seemed the end of our days.
But slowly revived through kindling of flame.
He is quite fiery, and I faded like smoke and waned.
Drawn to his brightness, we have returned.
This lyrical poem celebrates that he was born.
I have few other things I might give.
He shaped my life, gave me an example of how to live.
Here is a toast to his memory, a raising of glass.
To the settling of scores, to hurts and glories now past.

Disambiguation - Time

Fourth lesson I learned was that time is important, not to be taken lightly. As to time travel - we either will always have it, or never will affect the time stream. Wormholes and cheating time may be in the far future, but if time travel is possible, our history has already been affected and/or multiple Parallel Universes have been created in the process.

Time is important, but as is said in Its a Wonderful Life, "Youth is wasted on the wrong people!" The young know subconsciously that they might never have a moment/opportunity like "this" again, but don't consider the consequences. When it is foolish and trivial, too many of us committed to the course of action. Heavier matters that could change the courses of our lives and test the walls of our routine give the youths more pause. However, time is a commodity - something that we are unlikely to regain once traded.

To fulfill our desires on the mortal plane to which we are bound, we must choose whether to give time or money to satisfy our needs. Money is really a placeholder for the value of your spent time, so the real question is, "Are you willing to use the time that you have saved in the past, or would you rather work in the present to earn the goods and services?"

Such as new books or clothes - is your need so great as to need them fresh and unworn, or are you willing to spend an afternoon browsing a thrift store or used bookshop. I, as a youngin' prefer to dive for deals rather than anteing up my savings. Your life is valuable in whatever way you spend it. My fifteen minutes on the soapbox are up. Make the most of yours...

Pain - Rebirth

Why I do these titles escapes me, I can't seem to break the habit, even when they don't describe what is below written below. Disambiguation will be my next title, it is such a full sounding word.

The third lesson I learned concerns growing pains and challenges. When I was a youth, I didn't think twice about my ability to perform actions - they just responded and that was that. That grace left me when I went snowboarding one winter. It was my first time, and I spent most of the time scooting down the hill on my posterior rather than riding. It wasn't for lack of trying, and I had a patient, blue eyed teacher who smiled at my efforts and urged me onward.

The next day, I woke up more sore than I had ever been in my life. But the accomplishment of trying a new endeavor was worth the fallout. The next time I went 'boarding, I might not have been getting major air, but I was standing up when I finished the hills. Control came with time and the perseverance not to give up, even when I failed so miserably in the learning.

Trials are never pleasant, neither are challenges. They are called so for a reason, and sometimes I think the Father looks down, laughs kindly of our struggles of the moment - seeing that His child learning to walk today, that they might run swiftly someday. Bigger mountains lie in our paths, I wonder if these problems we face are mere anthills in comparison. We may not see the end result, and can only travel down the hill as it comes into focus - rolling with the bumps and avoiding collisions with other riders. Sometimes the ride is exhilarating, leaving us breathless with adrenaline pumping in our eardrums. But other times, we need to support the efforts of another soul who is still struggling with the basics, whose wings haven't matured enough to fly freely.

I hope that I will be observant and compassionate enough to recognize those when I see them, to address them with words of encouragement and good faith. Just as my friend waited on me, so must I be ready to help others in the same way.

Absence - Awaken.

Lesson Two of what I had learned that summer - That it was lonely watching movies alone. Comedy routines ring hollow when seen alone. Horror dramas were exponentially more unsettling by night, when viewed by a laptop screen's glow. Either way, it wasn't very fun. The real enjoyment of experiencing things was doing them with others. A wise friend once instilled in me the truth that "It is not all about what you do, as much as who you do it with." Whether it was going on supply runs, playing ultimate Frisbee, or going out to eat, it was the people and their reactions and replies that made moments memorable. The Internet was predicated on the assumption to inform and serve people, but more often, people invested their lives into a virtual world. I went to bed disgusted one night, exhausted from a FlameWar which I had striven to end peacefully.

Brad Paisley had a song entitled "Online," satirizing the anonymity of those involved in in virtual lives. "I am sci-fi fanatic, a mild asthmatic, I've never even been to LA. Til I got the chance with the marching band to play tuba in the Rose Parade... When you got my kinda stats, its hard to get a date, let alone a real girlfriend. But I lose a lot of weight and gain another foot everytime I log in!"

How truth becomes distorted through firewalls, personas, and cleverness. "I am important, look at my work! I am smart, beautiful, witty, and loaded. Praise me, tell me that I matter in the millions. My off-line life is not as measurable - there are no achievements, medals, or honors that pop in the corner of my vision."

Pity, so tempting. But the real world of color and life is so much more, the rewards are more subtle but longer lasting. There are my friends and family who love me dearly - despite, and sometimes because of, my faults. So, with the minor trials and temptations, the quiet victories over them, the tedious training of discernment and self discipline. I embrace today with all it will bring. Good day!

"Good Morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.
"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
"All of them at once," said Bilbo. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. ...
"Good morning!" he said at last. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water." By this he meant that the conversation was at an end.
"What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!" said Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off." - The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Disconnect - Reunion

I have nothing to despair about - my summer was composed of a maximum of 18 hours a week of work, a few family outings, and the rest was my time to use as I found it. How have I spent it and what have I learned from it? Self-Evidently, this outlet has been used for a short while yet, and is a mild vanity, though that pretentiousness may fade with time. I try too hard to impress people that I imagine might read this. Just the other day, I sent a post of mine to a friend, then fretted for minutes that I might have said something foolish. I need not be defensive - if people like what I have to say, they might take the time to have a piece of my mind. If not, I cannot worry about it. People go where they will, I need not put on a front to draw others.

I have a tendency to over-think things, dwelling on the theoretical rather than the concrete. Thus, my attempts to be clever and sharp are futile and frustrating to others. I will have a restful today, and connect with those who I have not made time in the past. Life is more than merely the possible, fantastical, or dreamings, They are to be in subservience to Reality, not be exalted above flesh and blood people. Life is not logical, Thank God, for the beautiful unpredictability and variation of our world!

"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." - Romans 11:36.

Sunlight - Grass

The day is bright and lively, the warmth and energy it exudes is overwhelming.

I pulled on my old sneakers for yard work, snapping branches with a pair of loppers.

As I labored, I remembered thinking of how time spent like this seemed unremarkable until viewed through the lens of the past. The smell of freshly cut grass, the sounds of laughter and shrieking of younger siblings, the taste of crisp, chilled water. These are the supports of memory, allowing an everyday occurrence to be stored in your long term memory.

After many days of this, the wonder and joy of labor is diluted by familiarity. That is why we note the absence of people and objects more than when their presence is manifest.

"Sunny Days, keeping the clouds away. I think we are coming to a clearing in the brighter day. So far away, still I think they say, 'The wait the heart grow fonder,' or stronger, I can't quite remember anyway. But if you're waiting for love. That's a promise I'll keep, and if You don't mind believing that it changes everything. Time will never matter." -Sunny Days, Jars of Clay (Who We are Instead).

I plan to enjoy today, not only to look at the past with longing, and the future with hope, but the present with purpose. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's, for I can't fathom thinking or being like anyone else.

Ticket - Parabola

A ticket for a trip to paradise in the stars. It was offered by the Captain to a select few at first. Patronus Abram was given first consideration, he had inspired many others to greatness with his early vision and investment leading to this day. His legacy was legendary. His descendant Issac Abram had driven a hard bargain with the Captain for an exclusive interview. The Captain listened to his demands and gave Issac a ground floor entry into the program, with his twelve sons. Judah was seen as especially promising, and the Captain's son went personally to supervise Judah's progress. He sent envoys to Judah to negotiate his arrival, they were received inconsistently, ignored by some members, and forgotten in paper trails by others.

When the Captain's son arrived for duty to close the deal for the tickets to paradise, his audience didn't believe who he claimed to be. Their business had been roadblocked by Roman Industries, and expected the Captain's contract to be a lifeline out of their difficulties.
The Captain's son consulted Judah's leading scientists, the Far-seers into the sky, but they wouldn't listen to his counsel and demeaned his advice as foolish and passive.
What they wanted from the Captain was a strong right hand of salvation - planning to execute an elaborate corporate strategy derived from the original parameters of the contracts.

The Captain's son maintained that the contract was revised - it was an open deal: ground floor entry into the Captain's program. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, stressed the Son, the father would offer it to rival companies if Judah wasn't interested.
Judah replied if it was a take it or leave it deal, the contract with the Captain wasn't worth it - send it to the chopping block.
The Son left, promising to return one day, he would remain faithful to His father's vision even when the short sighted scientists refused the simplicity of the Captain's grand design.
Those who believed in the viability of the Son's outline were few in Judah's line, but organized by Petros Simon and John Revel, the Son's vision was kept alive in their hearts.

Pall Quill was a brilliant student trained in Judah's Far-Seer branch, and was personally contacted by the Captain after his persecution of the Simon and Revel's followers.
After an interview, Quill was converted to believing in the Captain's vision for the Paradise program. He pitched the idea to other companies, offering them positions in the Captain's program. The work would be hard, those who joined would be ridiculed, and the code of conduct was to be found in the Captain's manual (additional tips written by Pall were given the Captain's consent).

Other nations joined the efforts, though fanatics and doubters sabotaged the program whenever possible. Some of the protesters said that man was not meant for the heavens, that earth was their final home. There was no other option but this terrestrial life, to believe otherwise was arrogant and foolish.

But the day finally came, the fleet was ready, and the Son returned to Judah. The members repented of doubting his claims before - there was no doubt that this young man's commanding bearing and brilliance were shining examples of his father. He had these traits all along, but Judah and the Far-Seers focused on the surface appearance of their expectations rather than seeing the Son in the light of who He was. The new chapter in the Captain's plan to bring Paradise to Mankind's reach was unfolded. Those naysayers who critiqued the project were silenced by the awe evoked by the Captain's vision made manifest.


This isn't all I wish it could be, but it is rather simple to me, as is the true gospel. Believe upon the Lamb and be willing to be used in whatever way the Captain might require.