Resourcefulness

MacGyver always finds a way
When no way can be found,
And Kirk and Spock can
Always organize a workaround.

But these are the exceptions,
As most must sad confess
To falling somewhat short
When measuring resourcefulness.

Whether be by trick or gimmick
Tactic or design,
Finding means to glean a scheme
Can tax the brightest mind.

But makeshift measures often form
A brilliant strategy when
Imagination forays 
To unmask the mystery.

So often the resourceful mind
Contrives the clear solution,
To find the root and leads it
To a logical conclusion.

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Resoluteness

Angry bull raves at
The slightest intrusion.
The huffing, the puffing,
The digging and raking all
Signs of inflexible
Determination. A
Definite warning, a
Storm in the making.

The beast is unwavering
In his resolve and
Unyielding in brazen intent,
Firm and unbending
In deliberation,
Fixed in his mindset
To never relent.

But blame not the brute for
Defending his bailiwick
With every means he retains.
The strength of behest
Reinforces his quest as he
Seeks to secure his domain.

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Reliability

Just like Old Faithful…
Right on time…
Every time… Season to season.
Like the sun and the moon,
The planets and stars,
Like the muse to the poet,
Like logic to reason.

Steadfast and loyal
As a canine companion,
Safe and secure like
The whisper of truth.
Straight to the point like
The flight of an arrow,
Filled with the energy of
Unbridled youth.

Strength to rely on
When troubles abound and
Faith needs a noble and
Trusted friend,
Leading the throng with
The sureness of sunsets
To drink from the fountain
Again, and again.

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Purity

The purity of infancy is
Just a candle, bright but brief,
Dimming as the world creeps in
To steal its brilliance
Like a thief.

The growing up and growing older
Feeds an escalating fire
Muddling a precious mind with
Carnal prospects of desire.

And though the heart bides
True and pure,
Temptation bates a rueful lure of
Choices to conflict the mind and
Leave the essence insecure.

Yet all are tasked to rise above
The tempting vamp of lustful passion,
Walk the higher road unsullied by
The wreck of fickle fashion.

And I am right.
And I am wrong and
Never can be sure.
Forever conflict vexes in
The struggle to stay pure.

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Punctuality

I hate being late. YES, being late.
It’s one thing I cannot abide.
I’d rather be an hour early
Than to be one minute slow.

Although I know
The hurly-burly of
This hurry scurry world can
Force delays,
Spread dismay,
Even lead to seeds of woe. 


Seldom are there fair excuses
To recuse such slack convention.
Just a sad habituation,
One of seven deadly sins.

Quick to offer self-defense when
Faced with fussy admonition.
Spry with jives and whys and wherefores
Ere the reprimands begin. 

Difficult to comprehend
Or hold a grain of empathy
For those who pose and thumb their nose
At hints of punctuality.

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Prudence

In the troubled land of prudence
Where decisions often linger past
The point of senseless measure,
Let the watchful warry be.

Though due diligence is boon
And caution grows a welcome friend,
Deliberations bear the warning:
“Time may be the enemy.”

Careful is a cunning cohort to
Watch horizons,
Guard behind.
Doppelganger of forewarning,
Sentinel to peace of mind.

But prudence owns its useful limits
When progress is on the fly, for
Opportunity won’t linger
And it soon may pass on by.

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Piety

Dear lord, I beg you,
Give me peace to be
The best that I can be.
I never claimed to be
The reverent poster child of piety.

Even though my faith is strong
And I am staunch to know my place,
The way is long and I am far from
Living in a state of grace.

Test me in the zeal and fervor of
My stretched fidelity until
The limits of my passion
Are revealed for all to see.

You may find my light to shine
With hope to spare in time and space,
Or deem my day in disarray and
In desperate need of firm embrace.

No matter how,
No matter when,
No matter where the road may bend,
The strength of honest piety
Can be a kind and trusted friend.

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Persistence

Oh, no, here it comes again
Plagued by that same nagging score,
Like that fussy Fuller Brush Man 
Knock-knock-knocking on my door
Like the (ding-dong) Avon lady
Hawking, squawking evermore,
Runs around in circles like
A rowboat sculled by just one oar.

If I say it oft enough
Perhaps you’ll take it to be true.
Not so sure if that reflects
More shamefully on me or you.
But many pacts and promises are
Rubber-stamped without a clue
Because some unrelenting fool
Refused to drop the other shoe.

In truth of truth, to close a plan and
Bring it to fruition
Requires a resolute someone
Persistent in his mission.

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Perseverance

“I’ve got this,” he said. “No worries.
We’re good.”
And he just kept going and rolling along.
I wasn’t so sure that he understood.
But then, after all, he was young and strong.
Most people would wilt tracking try after try
Until every venture was spent.
But every time he landed
Flat on his back
He got up again,
Refused to relent.

Driven by diligence, bolstered by stamina,
So full of moxie and grit,
No one can question his pit bull tenacity
Fully refusing to quit.

So often a path might be littered with trials
And peril may get in the way,
But resolute mindset and
Pure perseverance
Will offer the sweetest bouquet.

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Patience

Waiting can be bothersome,
If not downright unreasonable
When weaving through the barriers
Of, “GIVE IT TO ME, NOW.”

Where comes the need? This instant need
For pleasure and fulfillment,
As though there’s cause to
Reap the crops
Before the soil, for seed, is ploughed.

It’s what I want.
It’s what I need,
The one thing I desire.
The new, the now, the everything
To which I most aspire.

But Patience is long-suffering.
She muddles through with pluck and grit,
Her stoic presence taciturn,
Although she may lament a bit
While biding in anticipation
Pondering the “either / or”.
Anything that’s worth its weight is
Always worth the waiting for.

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Orderliness

I like your panoramic style;
It vibes of pure efficiency.
Your perfect sense of order is
Just short of austere O.C.D.

Your penchant toward proficiency
Implies a form of artistry
No artist’s palette has the
Gripping colors
Or the eye to see.

Form and fashion have a place when
Competence is on the line.
The process and routine must never fail.
And the keeper of the lamp must
Never fault to make the lighthouse shine
Lest the battered waters should prevail.

We yield to order as a
Safe alternative to anarchy
And so, preserve the status quo and
Keep a bit of sanity.

But ways and manners may contort to
Tactics quite unique, so
The wise man seeks alternatives
And thinks before he speaks.

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Openness

Secrets are the Devil’s wasteland
Held inside the dark recesses of
An unrelenting Hell
Waiting to unleash their bane.

Holding back and holding on to
Enigmatic mysteries
(When only truth holds freedom’s fare)
Can only be a source of pain.

Mayhap there lives a smarter option
To this lost and cryptic world,
One whose prospect need not be
A grand deception filled with lies.

Might it be an open mind that
Leaves the hurt of guile behind
And paves the path to a peaceful mind.
The ultimate surprise.

Shall I listen?
Might I hear?
May I not react with haste?
To cast the die before its cue
Leaves such a bitter aftertaste.

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Morality

They tend to dwell on
A sliding scale,
Ebbing, flowing,
Shrinking, growing,
Ever-changing, rearranging
Facts and figures to adapt.

But morals yield to
Fits and quarrels,
Cede to greed and
Clashing creeds til
Standards rise to
Meet the eyes and
Probity is firmly mapped.

We are children of
The children of
The children of “the Child.”
Following millennial traditions
As if blind.
The linchpin of integrity
Not to be defiled,
Morality is never quite defined.

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Modesty

I used to think myself demure,
Timid, bashful, coy and shy.
No bold exhibitionist,
No proud narcissist was I.

Then a malady dispatched me
To the town infirmary
Where I quickly learned the drill
And lost all sense of modesty.

Stripped of clothes and dignity
And any pride one may uphold
I quickly learned to acquiesce and
Simply did as I was told.

Nurse, technician and physician
Prodding, poking, nodding, joking,
Open gown exposing flesh to passers-by.
I feel like croaking.

Yes, I know it’s necessary.
This is how it needs to be,
But it sure does make it difficult
To embrace modesty.

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Moderation

Anything… Everything…
All good things in moderation.
Songs we sing,
Food we bring
In austere consideration.

Worrying… Flurrying…
Hurrying to reach the end while
Mothering and smothering 
In ways no one can comprehend.

Gluttony says to me,
“Have your fill. Enjoy temptation.”
But the relish of ambrosia
Wields an untoward consequence.

Staving cravings, not so easy,
Tested by such sweet sensations.
Desperate for overkill to
Acquiesce to common sense.

Less is more
For what’s in store, and
Greed is need when unrestrained.
And why must we
Feint debauchee
When beckoned to abstain.

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Mercy

In a world of second chances
It should come as no surprise
The bridle of benevolence should
Lead the way to a proper pause.

Concession comes much easier when
Views arise through other’s eyes.
And quarter seems more likely given
To a foe of noble cause.

Mercy is the silent seer
Whose ending anger cannot see.
The power of forgiveness gives
The giver infinite release.

So, let us then give ken to mercy,
Hail to grace and clemency.
Let the shine of tempered pardon
Be the paradigm of peace.

Whereas we decry a lie,
The truth is oft misunderstood.
Though the outside blurs to black
Inside there may still be good.

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Meekness

I have no desire to inherit the earth.
This sheepish docility gives me no peace
In a dog-eat-dog fantasy
Waiting to pounce with the
Sureness of sunrise that springs from the east.

Yet modesty does claim
The poise of enlightenment,
Tendered with reticence,
Braced by a pause,
With feathers unfettered and
Voice clear and calm, 
Alert and proficient to
Sidestep the beast.

But don’t confuse meekness with
Gestures of weakness
When mortals demure from the norm.
You may be surprised by
The fire in their eyes
When the table is set for the feast.

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Magnanimity

It is an altruistic breeze that
Ferries streams of charity,
A bountiful calliope of open hospitality.
And shades of magnanimity give rise
To generosity til I am you,
Til you are me, a blending of humanity.

And wisdom grows what kindness sows
To flourish in the afterglow.
For Heaven knows ‘tis apropos
To measure beyond quid pro quo.

To view the show from high plateau
And watch the goings-on below
Where fire and ice trade lethal blows
And never flow simpatico.

The heart and mind reach far beyond
The premise of a magic wand,
So all may bare their pedigree
In waves of magnanimity.

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Loyalty

Forty-seven years should count for something.
Forty-seven precious years of staunch fidelity,
Support and devotion to you, my one and only,
A constant, steadfast case of loyalty.

I’d like to say we’ve had a pretty good run,
More than many,
More than most. More to come.
Want so much for us to age together,
And this is much too soon.
Much too soon.

You have been my one true life companion,
And I your ever-faithful devotee.
Through shifting tides we’ve
Traversed restless oceans
And stood our ground with fierce integrity.

And I will be there when the battle’s over
To take your hand and keep you safe and warm.
A loyal friend, a faithful true companion
Offering calm shelter from the storm.

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Love

Arrives with unexpected ardor,
Glows in multi-colored lights.
It fawns and flairs with fragrances
That rise and fall in symphony.

Where it dwells is veiled in secret
Else we taste its origin of
Sweet repose, gentle breeze and
Heightened ambiguity.  

I suspect that when it tumbles
Mountains crumble to the sea,
Obstacles retract, expand in
Aspect of fragility.

Only know that as it grows
In nurtured fields of sacred trust,
All delights within the heart
Reciprocate in harmony.

Hate and discord scar the soul with
Emblematic agony.
Only love and simple grace
Can lead the way to ecstasy.

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Knowledge

Wisdom knows no magic bullet,
Instant access or easy trail.
It grows along a thorny path
With walls and fences to encroach.

And knowledge breeds the building blocks
That rouse the march to clarity, and
Experience, the bitter pill, is
Sage savant beyond reproach.

With starts and stops and two treads back
On stairs and steps and stumbling blocks
To leap and learn through trial and fault
And make the puzzle pieces fit.

Growing exponentially to
Feed the need of will and want,
Knowledge is a paladin
Whose universe is infinite.

Knowledge waxes on through time
Where insight marries reason,
And we are mete more than fair share
To learn in our brief season.

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Kindness

Kindness is a gentle friend
Whose silky voice floats soft to soothe
Disquiet ears, comforting
The troubled flesh, the hardened core.
Owning nothing, giving all to
Reach across the great abyss,
Heading every utterance,
The plaintive cry of those in need.

Kindness claims no bounty, asks
No ransom, wage or tariff fair,
But offers bounteous rewards
Immeasurable in currency.
A caring word, a hand to hold,
A cherished heartfelt memory.
The simple act of being close
For one whose ship has lost its sail.

Kindness keeps no score on grace,
It seeks no recompense,
But bathes itself in tolerance
And willful charity.
And if in giving time is lost,
It will be time served well
To reap the golden gain of its reward.

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Justice

Right is right and
Truth is truth but
Justice knows no earthly bounds.
Like eagles high above the fray
With vision far beyond profound
It searches with integrity to
Find a common middle ground
And give a sense of order
To the plan.

Life holds no fairness guarantee,
Though karma forms a welcome friend
In evening the field of play
When broken lives are on the mend.
And kismet rides a golden steed
To slay the dragon and defend
The innocents who cannot
Take a stand.

But justice wields the final sword,
And all must feel his weight.
It will not falter in its faith.
It will not abdicate.

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Joyfulness

With pure delight I dance with glee
In wishful geniality
Amidst jocund hilarity
Of mirthful merriment.

Beside the shores of stormy seas
The need for laughter beckons me
To find the heart of gaiety
So often Heaven-sent.

The jaunty joviality of
Simple fools like you and me
May seem a triviality,
But that would be a lie.

Disseminating cheerfulness
Becomes a never-ending quest
That any eye might manifest
And none may quick deny.

A giddy gladness buoys hope
That “Gloomy Gus” will learn to cope
And savor the kaleidoscope
That fills the soul with glee.

And joy will sing a merry song
Inviting all to sing along
So happiness can join the throng
And set the spirit free.

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Innocence

What is it about a child
That touches the heart,
Evokes a smile,
Taking emotions that extra mile?
Innocence.

And we as nubile grown-ups lose
The sinlessness unless we choose
To turn deaf ear, refuse the muse of
Innocence.

Why must we be turned critical
With interests apolitical
And ire befit a raging bull?
No innocence.

A bitter taste, reality
Where dredges of acerbity
Lend yearning for the memory of
Innocence.

And when the maze of days is done,
The journey o’er, the battle won,
Be thankful that your web was spun with
Innocence.

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Industry

Diligence should not go unrewarded,
And
Perseverance never stops to rest,
While
The power of commitment, angst and effort
Is
Never pacified to come in second-best.
So
I turn an active hand with zeal and gusto
To
Discover and uncover wealth of praise.
Through
No other trial than honest dedication,
Like
A manic mouse meandering a maze.
The
World keeps spinning round ad infinitum,
But
Life knows nothing of infinity,
So
We struggle just to keep the wheels revolving
And
Give fair hope to blessed progeny.
And
If our efforts prove to be successful
We
Can give the glory all to industry.

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Impartiality

What’s fair is frank is fabulous when
The ace is downed and done.
So hard to hold neutrality
When held under the gun.
But equal even-handed trial
Is necessary meat 
To feed the beast of justice fair
Who seldom knows defeat.

So, how might I stay steadfast
To impartiality and
Hold my head above the fray
In silent probity?

I do not choose.
I will not choose.
I’ll pose upon the fence
And listen to the lot of you
Decry the where and whence.

And when pretense and posturing
Are faded to demise
A soft rebuttal trills the air
On wings of gentle butterflies.

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