Poetic Experience

So much goes back to our desires,
The base from which our self perspires;
But even there we’re little fish,
Pursuing each one little wish.

Two hundred years ago right now,
Two thousand died – we now know how –
The British went to New Orleans,
In half an hour those lives had been –

Extinguished – though the war was through
(’Twas sailing ships – so no one knew) –
So all could claim a victory
Except one group – that’s close to me.

First Nations lost the war that year –
That’s when their future came quite clear:
Brits tossed them off, ignored their claim,
First Nations life no more the same.

For history then around them strode –
Left in the ditch beside the road –
They stagger to their feet these days,
For they survived – persistence pays.

They’re not the first in history
To taste defeat, then later see
Their way of life affect the flow
Of larger life, and how it goes.

In war ideas are not lost,
They carry on, despite the cost,
In hearts and minds which use their aid –
In world of thought the future's made.

Back at the start some Angels fled,
Whose hearts were stirred when leader said,
“Let’s live our lives in selfishness,
Seize victory despite the mess.”

God asked Himself to questions then:
“Can I prevail in war again?”
“Complete the house of love I’ve planned,
Or lose when greed defiles the land?”

Like leader or contractor then,
God smiled and said, “Though short of men,
Enough remain who’ve seen the light,
Have tasted salt, seen bread made lite –

To persevere despite the cost,
So we will win, though all be lost:
They’ll lose their lives, their friends, their stuff,
But bottom line’s – I’ve got enough.

So, we have won – the victory’s ours –
Not won by greed, abusive powers;
But won by God – His view of love
As base of all around, above.

So we are left one thing to ask
“How ’bout it friend – rise to your task?
Hang in with a good and righteous dream?
Capitulate to who it seems –

Has won the battle here today,
Or take the long-view anyway?”
I choose to go with God despite
Prevailing view (defeat of right) –

So, tally-ho my merry band,
No more suffice to take some stand;
I choose to enter in the fight
And live my life with what is right.

We’re not restricted by the past,
Since all that nasty stuff was trashed
Upon a cross 2K ago;
We live by light of what we know –

By faith (it’s either right or not –
It’s 50-50 – truth or rot);
For me? I place my bet on God
Live life in Him here on this sod.

How does that play now I’ve reviewed
The poems since life was renewed
Three years ago, with cancer beat?
I’ll spell it out as dawn I greet:

I am an autodidact man;
I prototype this best I can
The paradigms assigned to me,
Once I’ve been shown each central key.

Three projects move across the field;
Each side by side, and darkness yields;
As one moves on, bring others up
(Advancing line a little rough).

Each project helps the other two;
As three they do what one can’t do;
The keys to two have now been found,
Just as I enter final round.

1. First Nations’ way of raising kids
And doing life – a way which bids
Each one of us, “Engage in life
For you can win despite the strife”.

2. The church as people of a Book
Apostles shared, so we could look
At insights learned from God by Jews,
Then shared with us – indeed good news.

3. And body-life as way to go
Through life – and share what each one knows;
No gift left out – no gift supreme
Each at full stretch – love in between.

The present context? Business world;
A vibrant place amidst the swirl,
As global life unfolds today
(Six billion in our village stay).

My task? It’s Minister (type one –
Apostleship) – job almost done:
To prototype that paradigm
And share my findings up the line.

For that’s the piece for church’s seeds,
(See two of three) – but my task needs
An autodidact – one who learns
First Nations’ way which I’ve not spurned).

Our question’s ’bout prosperity –
“With righteousness, can that state be?”
It can, but not unless as one
We join our gifts (by Spirit done).

In poetry I jot things down
Quite randomly, as life goes round;
NVivo-10 sequential makes
The data – gives my head a break.

But how to write my findings up,
When folks don’t want such useless stuff?
In fiction – stories round the fire
Of characters, with real desires.

Just play it out, and let folks see
The truth I find, just like the Cree:
Insights there on the table laid,
The choice is theirs – truth’s just displayed.

For prototyping paradigms,
Requires a set of tools like mine;
As Barker said, they lead the pack,
Blaze out a trail which others lack –

A trail when there’s no need as yet;
To others just a useless bet;
But once the paradigm is grasped,
Such blazed-out ways result in cash:

A boost for our First Nations kids;
The Christian church blows off the lid;
And business world’s a better place,
Where all can run a healthy race.

And me? My “this and that” I do,
Like laying bricks with mortar-goo;
“A tall cathedral’s what I build,
We soon will see what God has willed.

The arts are how I do my part;
Great fun – for life’s indeed a lark
When into life we all join in,
And leave behind communal sin.

For sin is doing life our way,
And getting there by power-play,
While sucking up the world’s resource
Like parasites – abuse of force

God says, “There’s lots for all around,
Not just the power, resource that’s found,
But also Mine as we join hands,
And life flows out throughout the land”.

Lord, thanks for making life work out,
And pouring life and love about,
That as we journey through this life,
Joy can be ours amidst the strife.

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