Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

"Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

Wow! Just wow.

When you think of all the reasons why you don't just hate religion but resent it, it gets a little overwhelming. There are so many reasons to revile the Catholic Church, on so many levels and to put those reasons into succinct statements is hard work.

But this poet nailed it!

Written and spoken by Jefferson Bethke, we took the transcript from
Lybio.net




What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion.
What if I told you voting republican really wasn’t his mission.
What if I told you republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian.
And just because you call some people blind.
Doesn’t automatically give you vision.
I mean if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars.
Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor.
Tells single moms God doesn’t love them if they’ve ever had a divorce.
But in the old testament God actually calls religious people whores.
Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice.
Tend to ridicule God’s people, they did it to John The Baptist.
They can’t fix their problems, and so they just mask it.
Not realizing religions like spraying perfume on a casket.
See the problem with religion, is it never gets to the core.
It’s just behavior modification, like a long list of chores.
Like lets dress up the outside make look nice and neat.
But it’s funny that’s what they use to do to mummies.
While the corps rots underneath.
Now I ain’t judgin. Source: LYBIO.net
I’m just saying quit putting on a fake look, Cause there’s a problem.
If people only know you’re a Christian by your Facebook.
I mean in every other aspect of life, you know that logic’s unworthy.
It’s like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey.
You see this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me.
Acting like a church kid, while addicted to pornography.
See on Sunday I’d go to church, but Saturday getting faded.
Acting if I was simply created just to have sex and get wasted.
See I spent my whole life building this facade of neatness.
But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness.
Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean.
It’s not a museum for good people, it’s a hospital for the broken.
Which means I don’t have to hide my failure, I don’t have to hide my sin.
Because it doesn’t depend on me it depends on him.
See because when I was God’s enemy and certainly not a fan.
He looked down and said I want, that, man.
Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools.
Don’t you see so much better than just following some rules.
Now let me clarify, I love the church, I love the bible, and yes I believe in sin.
But if Jesus came to your church would they actually let him in.
See remember he was called a glutton, and a drunkard by religious men.
But the son of God never supports self righteousness not now, not then.
Now back to the point, one thing is vital to mention.
How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrum’s.
See one’s the work of God, but one’s a man made invention.
See one is the cure, but the other’s the infection.
See because religion says do, Jesus says done.
Religion says slave, Jesus says son.
Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free.
Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see.
And that’s why religion and Jesus are two different clans.
Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man.
Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own.
Not based on my merits but Jesus’s obedience alone.
Because he took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down his face.
He took what we all deserved, I guess that’s why you call it grace.
And while being murdered he yelled. “Father forgive them they know not what they do.”
Because when he was dangling on that cross, he was thinking of you.
And he absorbed all of your sin, and buried it in the tomb.
Which is why I’m kneeling at the cross, saying come on there’s room.
So for religion, no I hate it, in fact I literally resent it.
Because when Jesus said it is finished, I believe he meant it.


Monday, November 21, 2011

De La Rocha Pens Occupy Poem


Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha has released an Occupy Wall Street poem in solidarity for the protesters.

"This poem is dedicated to the Occupy movement whose courage is changing the world. Stay Strong. We are winning."

The beginning spills through city veins

Into the arteries

And under powers poison clouds

We move like the shadows

Through the alley ways

Through nightmares bought and sold as dreams 


Through barren factories 


Through boarded schools 


Through rotting fields 


Through the burning doors of the past 


Through imaginations exploding 


To break the curfews in our minds



Our actions awaken dreams of actions multiplied 


A restless fury 


Once buried like burning embers 


Left alone to smolder 


But together stacked under the walls of a dying order 


All sparks are counted 


Calloused hands raised in silence 


Over the bonfire of hope unincorporated 


It's flame restores tomorrows meaning 


Across the graveyards of hollow promises 


As gold dipped vultures pick at what is left of our denial



And the youngest among us 


Stare at us stoned like eyes determined 


And say 
Death for us may come early

Cause dignity has no price 


At the corner of now and nowhere 


Anywhere 


Everywhere 


Tomorrow is calling 


Tomorrow is calling

Do not be afraid





News Article

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Happy Birthday, Viggo!


Hollywood's hottest actor, Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen, turns 53 today.

Viggo starred in dozens of movies before hitting it big as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings. He was The King in Return of the King. The movie that took 11 Oscars in 2004.

You've known Viggo since his fist movie "Witness" with Harrison Ford, or maybe you saw "A Perfect Murder" where he starred with Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas, or "Carlito's Way" with Al Pacino and Sean Penn or "Crimson Tide" with Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman or "Portrait of a Lady" with John Malkovich and Nicole Kidman or "GI Jane" with Demi Moore or "A Walk on the Moon" with Diane Lane and Liev Schreiber or "28 Days" with Sandra Bullock or "Hildago" with Omar Sharif or "A History of Violence" and "Appaloosa" with Ed Harris or "The Road" with Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pierce...

You kind of get the picture here. Viggo has been in everything with everyone and is highly sought after.

He will star next in "A Dangerous Method" as Sigmund Freud and has 2 other movies in the can, as well.

We've met Viggo, hugged and kissed Viggo and LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in the business, not to mention the most talented.

Did we mention he's also a published poet, musician, photographer and painter? All of the paintings in "A Perfect Murder" were his. And his photos are super-artistic. You can find ALL his books at Amazon.com HERE.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIGGO!

Viggo's IMDB profile

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Raven Trailer is HERE


We've been psyched about this movie since we first heard they cast John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe. Check out the above pic and know that Cusack is going to nail this one to the fucking wall. We're outright-sight-unseen calling for him to get an Oscar Nom.

Here's the official trailer released TODAY.




Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Walt Whitman

Today is the 192nd anniversary of the Great Walt Whitman's birth.

One of our favorite poets, EVER, 'ole Walt lives on through his tremendous body of work.

In Honor, today we will post some of our faves. Alas, it is hard to just pick a few.

Black Cat Poems.com has an extensive list of Walt Whitman's poems online.

From Leaves of Grass, our favorite poetry book of all time.

O Captain! My Captain!

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up -- for you the flag is flung -- for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths -- for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.


And a poem in honor of Memorial Day. Whitman lived through the Civil War and much of his poetry is about this time. His book "Memoranda of the War" contains much of this work.

Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night

Vigil strange I kept on the field one night;
When you my son and my comrade dropt at my side that day,
One look I but gave which your dear eyes return'd with a look I shall never forget,
One touch of your hand to mine O boy, reach'd up as you lay on the ground,
Then onward I sped in the battle, the even-contested battle,
Till late in the night reliev'd to the place at last again I made my way,
Found you in death so cold dear comrade, found your body son of responding kisses, (never again on earth responding,)
Bared your face in the starlight, curious the scene, cool blew the moderate night-wind,
Long there and then in vigil I stood, dimly around me the battle-field spreading,
Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet there in the fragrant silent night,
But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh, long, long I gazed,
Then on the earth partially reclining sat by your side leaning my chin in my hands,
Passing sweet hours, immortal and mystic hours with you dearest comrade -- not a tear, not a word,
Vigil of silence, love and death, vigil for you my son and my soldier,
As onward silently stars aloft, eastward new ones upward stole,
Vigil final for you brave boy, (I could not save you, swift was your death,
I faithfully loved you and cared for you living, I think we shall surely meet again,)
Till at latest lingering of the night, indeed just as the dawn appear'd,
My comrade I wrapt in his blanket, envelop'd well his form,
Folded the blanket well, tucking it carefully over head and carefully under feet,
And there and then and bathed by the rising sun, my son in his grave, in his rude-dug grave I deposited,
Ending my vigil strange with that, vigil of night and battle-field dim,
Vigil for boy of responding kisses, (never again on earth responding,)
Vigil for comrade swiftly slain, vigil I never forget, how as day brighten'd,
I rose from the chill ground and folded my soldier well in his blanket,
And buried him where he fell.


The last stanza of "Song of the Open Road"

Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?


And the first stanza of "To think of time

To think of time--of all that retrospection,
To think of to-day, and the ages continued henceforward.

Have you guess'd you yourself would not continue?
Have you dreaded these earth-beetles?
Have you fear'd the future would be nothing to you?

Is to-day nothing? is the beginningless past nothing?
If the future is nothing they are just as surely nothing.

To think that the sun rose in the east--that men and women were
flexible, real, alive--that every thing was alive,
To think that you and I did not see, feel, think, nor bear our part,
To think that we are now here and bear our part.


To our Delaware Valley Friends: Walt Whitman is buried in Camden, NJ. His cemetery is BEAUTIFUL and his final resting place is just amazing. Yes, it's in Camden. We've been there and it's worth the trip to go and recite a few poems to the old man in "person".