A Carolina Psalter. Tony Scully

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СКАЧАТЬ sorrows of the elderly

      Scratch that

      We are here to be entertained

      Definitely

      The young and the restless

      A small screen narrative

      Endless coupling

      Held together by greasepaint

      And subterfuge

      Lipstick ruby red

      A cacophony of compliments

      And lies

      The way of the world

      A cliché come true.

      I remember the simple elements

      The beauty of the black brown soil

      The laughter of dogs

      New life come spring

      It’s all of a piece

      Complexity

      Guaranteed

      Whoever we are

      Remember

      We are still the human race.

      Kyrie Eleison

      Psalm Fourteen

      1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.They are corrupt, they have done abominable works;There is none that doeth good.2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,To see if there were any that did understand,That did seek after God.3 They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy;There is none that doeth good, no, not one.4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,Who eat up my people as they eat bread,And call not upon God?5 There were they in great fear;For God is in the generation of the righteous.6 Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor,Because God is his refuge.7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!When God bringeth back the captivity of his people,Then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

      The fool hath said in his heart

      There is no God

      Declares the Psalm, once a simple song

      Apparently now absolute

      According to Evangelicals

      Is the Lord, what a word—

      How about potentate?

      How about wizir?

      Really looking down

      Follow the dotted line

      To discover men, women, and children

      That would be us

      Pursuing God?

      Is that what He does

      Police?

      Patrol?

      Supervise?

      We seek the salvation of Israel

      The saying goes

      Hoping prophets will return

      To reestablish justice

      Mercy

      And universal love

      Did someone say God?

      Baby

      We can do this ourselves

      Can’t we?

      Oh

      Psalm Fifteen

      1 God, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle?Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness,And speaketh truth in his heart;3 He that slandereth not with his tongue,Nor doeth evil to his friend,Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,But who honoreth them that fear God;He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;5 He that putteth not out his money to interest,Nor taketh reward against the innocent.He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

      Let’s hear it

      For the righteous

      Who tip twenty-five percent

      And praise their friends behind their backs

      Who never descend into political hysteria

      Polarizing, defaming, slandering presidents and vice presidents

      All those who have placed their hands on the Bible

      Promising to serve the common good

      I can think of five

      No four

      Four just men

      Or two?

      The Righteous Brothers?

      Is that enough?

      As for myself

      I work on correcting my course

      Inevitably off-track

      And wandering

      One day I will forgive you

      For making me mortal

      Translated

      Deaf

      Dumb

      And blind

      Let’s hear it for the righteous

      I’m not there yet

      Are you?

      Psalm Sixteen

      1 Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I take refuge.2 O my soul, thou hast said unto God, Thou art my Lord:I have no good beyond thee.3 As for the saints that are in the earth,They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that give gifts for another god:Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer,Nor take their names upon my lips.5 God is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:Thou maintainest my lot.6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;Yea, I have a goodly heritage.7 I will bless God, who hath given me counsel;Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons.8 I have set God СКАЧАТЬ