Corinthian Pleasure- A Carnival Prayer

Paul teaches the best things are three:

Faith and Hope and charity.

I surely take his words as true

And hold them up in all I do.

But, God knows, and I'll confess

There are other ways we're blessed

And when I pray for strength, like Paul

The gifts I wish for most of all

Are similar to Paul's in number-

First, I pray, Lord, make me dumber

For which of Paul's gifts pass the dense

For fellowship with those with sense?

Then I ask a little madness

To comfort me in times of sadness

And so my will is never tested

Even once I've been arrested.

Third, I pray my spirit's small

Of lesser gifts, the best of all,

To never trust in our conclusions

Yet to doubt our own illusions.

I won't debate the good apostly,

And pray my pride won't be too costly

When, heart aroar and gut arumble,

I pray "keep thy crazy fool humble."

-Timothy Timfor

A conspiracy so vast

To all but the conspirator

(Mark there's as many as before)

The thing about conspiracy

Is it's there for none to see.

Each man whether stout or frail

Conjures up his own betrayal-

A vampire banker in the night

(Or schoolmarm if you're on the right.)

Whichever shadow you pursue,

And I bet you money it's a Jew,

With all our demons aggregated

And in with our neighbors titrated

The conspiracy has grown so vast

To become democracy at last.

And once our enemies are pooled,

We're rightly glad to have been fooled.

-Burnett Holmes

Ogre Day 2011

When freedom comes to Tripoli,

The despot hanged on live TV,

Love will keep the dastard's head

Entangled in its braided thread.

Yea, it's true, a tyrant risen,

Is buoyant on a sea of prison;

In this world of friends and neighbors

And charity and hugs and labors.

Shackles bind the very best

While embraces tie the rest

And affection makes the world go round,

Which as it spins, grinds us down.

Yes, love's a rose, I hear. I do,

And kindness is the truest true,

But whichever gracious heart may spawn it,

An ogre's bile be upon it.

-Amelia Roston Browning

A dismal ogre Day to all my friends!

CPA Day

Today I'll meet with an accountant

Who'll prescribe the amount that

in taxes I'm due to pay

April 15th or ground hog day

Is this tyranny or patriotism?

Nah, but worth some rhyme and rhythm.

Prestidigitation

I met a young man sitting between the trees

Juggling percents and trilion-threes,

Buzzing like a swarm of bees,

I asked of his anxieties.

"Exports have fallen four percent,

Unemployment's higher than the rent,

Immigrations up and still they're sent

And bankers borrow what they haven't lent.

"The reminbi," he said to me,

"Is lower than it ought to be

Gas is high and, can't you see?

Freedom's never bought for free!"

His worries seemed to be amounting

To hysteria in his accounting.

I asked, "Why sit with crises mounting?"

He said, "I'm not idle, man- I'm counting!"

Lazarus and Dives, before they went mainstream

Lazarus and Dives
Met in the road one day
Lazarus, he bowed low,
And heard the rich man say:

“Judea loves me most of all
Though you and I are strangers still
I’m the toast of Rome and Susa
While Hebrews do my will.

But still I live a righteous life
And all my tithes are paid
My children worship Adonai
In every place we’ve stayed.”

Lazarus answered soft and humbly,
“My cow is dry and my land unarable

My money's soft, my grain is crumbly
My donkey’s back has grown unbearable
But a gloried life awaits me numbly
If I can get into a parable.”

To 2011

2011 has at last appeared,
Reconciled, wished on, prayed for and feared
And shall we predict what this near year will hold?
Only if we’re foolish, shameless and bold-
I propose that the pessimists will again be proved wrong
Yet remain unpersuaded by reason or song
While the optimists see that the future is bright
‘Til we need them for food by New Year’s Eve night.

Note to readers: Right now, I'm thinking the title of this blog gets a new meaning and will contain intermittent posts like the Wednesdays and Saturdays from Waking Ambrose, though not necessarily on Wednesday, Saturday or any other regular schedule. To keep up, you may want to use Google Reader or with the RSS feed. I think there is one.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Fünfundneunzig

To hear Actonbell read the final episode, gather up before the angel.

Or, you can read this episode among the Wisteria.

The whole kit and caboodle are here.

This blog will now be on hiatus until 2011. Thank you to all who have read and/or enjoyed the stories here and best wishes for the holiday season.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Vierundneunzig

To hear TLP read this week's story, click on the angry man.

Or, you can read this episode with the adolescent novice at left.

The story so far is here.

And happy birthday to my separated-at-birth sister and TLP's separated-at-birth daughter.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Dreiundneunzig

To hear this week's story, listen for the cock to crow.

Or, you can read this episode on the way to the children's crusade.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Zwoundneunzig

To hear this week's story, listen for Adalbert's wrath.

Or, you can read this episode in the Chi-Rho at left.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Einundneunzig

To hear this week's story, follow Dietrich and Gretchen down the streets of Marburg.

Or, you can read this episode with Jan.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Neunzig

To hear this week's story, gather around the preacher.

Or, you can read this episode with Pontius Pilate and Barrabas.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Neunundachtzig

To hear this week's story, eavesdrop on the alleyway.

Or, you can read this episode by following Adalbert's finger.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Achtundachtzig

To hear this week's story, eavesdrop on the alleyway.

Or, you can read this episode from behind the window where Adalbert's desk once sat.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Siebensundachtzig

To hear this week's story, pass the black door again.

Or, you can read this episode at the tavern or the church below.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Sechsundachtzig

To hear this week's story, pass the black door.

Or, you can read this episode at the tavern or the church below.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Fünfundachtzig

To hear this week's story, gather around Vater Johann's dream of Jeremiah.

Or, you can read this episode with Wotan.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Vierundachtzig

To hear this week's story, come to the baptism at right.

Or, you can read this episode as Jesus enters Jerusalem.

The story so far is here.

The Reformation of Wolfshausen

Teil Dreiundachtzig

To hear my dad read this week's story, hear ye the Swiss scout at right

Or, you can read thoughtfully with Huldrych Zwingli.

The story so far is here.