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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Genuine Compassion



We shake our heads and cluck our tongues
And ‘tsk-tsk’ over that and this
As ‘bad news’ makes its daily rounds
Beneath the guise of ‘no gossip’
The ‘did you hear?’ and ‘did you know’s?’
Becomes the fodder for the tongue
As fast and furious ‘bad news’ flows
And none are spared, not old nor young
But raised eye-brows and holy gasps
And verbal nuance clouds the air
As on and on the woes are passed
Of love’s misfortunes and despair
No longer private is the name
Of he who stumbled on life’s path
But in a public hall of shame
Looms penance in the gossip’s wrath
And woe to he who must endure
‘Pious compassion’ of the just
Mauling not what is good and pure
But agonies of man-kind’s lust…
…‘Let he who never yet hath sinned
Be the first to cast a stone’
Ten-thousand ‘should-haves’ cannot do
What one whispered prayer has done

Janet Martin

6 comments:

  1. I love this one, Janet... especially the ending.

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  2. Thank-you Laurie, and know I did not leave my comment to you lightly or politely.
    Love and prayers,

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  3. 'Let he who never yet hath sinned be the first to cast a stone...' Humbles me every time. Our words have such power ~ whether we choose to use them to build up or tear down...

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  4. Megan, how much I wish I was not guilty of the latter. Yes, words are the most powerful tool we possess. The tongue cannot be bridled, it is a weapon full of deadly poison...today my verse of meditation is Psalms 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

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  5. Nice post thanks for sharing..loves from holland...soraya

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  6. Hi! Thank-you for your words...from Holland! We are surrounded by dutch neighbors where we live! Truly wonderful people! I feel like I know a little about Holland just through their stories.

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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!