Here we go!
For Sir Tom:
On Facing A Hard Future
They say that bad is good, that truth is hate,
That theft is justice, and et cetera.
The lumpen-proletariat of late
Has made a dungheap of America.
Which way is forward? This was not made clear.
At least we Christians know which way is down,
And can avoid it. Things will be severe,
But that comes with our service to the Crown.
Our King did not give us free telephones;
He gave us free salvation, and He asks
That while we live as mortal flesh and bones,
We do not chicken out on heavy tasks.
Our very faith some treat as contraband;
But we'll endure, and having done all, stand.
For Glenburne:
A Contemplation Of Cheese
In Howard Pyle's account of Robin Hood,
If deer in Sherwood Forest got away,
Cheese was his other choice of protein food,
Though where he got it from, I couldn't say.
I read the scene where Robin took a sword
And cut some cheese in quarters -- also bread.
In hard times, Merry Men could still afford
These foods, while keeping down their overhead.
The same for us! With taxes high again,
We look for low-cost foods to pass our lips.
We won't be rescued by the Merry Men,
But we can melt cheese over nacho chips.
Amid societal uncertainties,
We'll hope and pray that no one moves our cheese!