A Prayer to My Countrymen in Ugly Times

My friends in the USA, there is so much ugliness being shoved in our faces on a national level at the moment… the ugliness of injustice, murders, racism, etc. (not to mention the social polarity brought on by the current election cycle). Unfortunately, that ugliness is real. It seems overwhelming. Still, it MUST, in its varied forms, be addressed and hopefully corrected, systemically from the top down and from the ground up.
 
BUT, there is still so much beautiful going on around us. You won’t much see it on the news, you won’t much hear about it on the radio. In this present America, you have to tune your attention to it as an act of will. Just walking around in Indianapolis with my kids yesterday, I saw the beautiful at work in my fellow humans, ordinary humans, on the streets, and we were able to be a part of it. It wasn’t in everyone, but it was in most people. My kids and I also got to be part of an amazing moment between several of us. It wasn’t a planned “event.” Just humans being humans to one another. Friends were made of strangers, and those strangers were not even the same color. Personal stories, help, and hopes were exchanged. No hashtags or clickbait articles were necessary to make it happen. Only beating human hearts and willing minds. It gave me some real hope for humanity in the day to day, at ground level.
 
That said, this is my admonition, first to myself and then to my friends. Hell, even as I secular person I don’t mind calling it a “prayer”… a prayer that WE will have to answer ourselves: Please don’t let the ugliness that dwells in some places and in some people around you turn YOU ugly in spirit. Yes, stand for the right and against the wrong. Speak and act (peacefully) against it. Yet, never forget that there is more light shining through we who are good than darkness manifesting through those who are bad. Don’t let the darkness of “them” dim the light of “us.” The “us” who are found among all colors, creeds, and countries. If ever we needed to be, we need to be countrymen, fellow citizens, friends, and most of all, lovers of one another in this present day. In the words of my mom to me as a young boy, “Be careful that you do not become what you hate in this world.” One of the hardest things in this life is to have your heart broken, but not let it then turn into fractured stone.
 
There are some in this country who have the desire to fracture us all like broken glass along the contrived lines of their own selfish agendas. They hope to set us against one another via racial, political, gender, and ideological lines. That makes us weak and them strong. But, we must be countrymen and we must care for one another. We must care about our real flesh and blood fellow citizens above our own subjective ideologies. Please, tune your ears to the frequency of the common humans around you. Their hearts are beating a beautiful song. Let your own heart sing along.   -Luke
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Thank you for reading and sharing! I am an independent poet, author, and singer/songwriter and I have my own ebay business to keep me as flexible as possible. But, writing takes time and if you appreciate what I do, if you have been moved or made to think by my writing, OR have just enjoyed something on my blog, please throw a buck or two in my tip jar!:) Your kind contribution may buy me a cup of coffee out at my next writing session. Click my easy paypal “tip jar” link that follows and THANKS! -Luke

Reductio Ad Absurdum (A Poem Dreamed, Then Written)

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Reductio Ad Absurdum (A Poem Dreamed, Then Written), Page 1 – By Luke Austin Daugherty, Copyright: 2016- All Rights Reserved on Words and Image

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Reductio Ad Absurdum (A Poem Dreamed, Then Written), Page 2 – By Luke Austin Daugherty, Copyright: 2016- All Rights Reserved on Words and Image

Thank you for reading and sharing!

By the way, I accept tips now! I am an independent poet, author, and singer/songwriter and I have my own ebay business to keep me as flexible as possible. But, writing takes time and if you appreciate what I do, if you have been moved or made to think by my writing, OR have just enjoyed something on my blog, please throw a buck or two in my tip jar! 🙂 Your kind tip may buy me a cup of coffee out at my next writing session. Click my easy paypal link that follows and THANKS! -Luke – Luke Austin Daugherty’s Tip Jar

An Untitled Poem About My Father (Written for His Funeral)

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An Untitled Poem About My Father (Written for His Funeral) -Copyright: 2009, Luke Austin Daugherty- All Rights Reserved

Happy Father’s Day to the dads we are, the ones who we have loved, and the ones who we have lost! – Luke

 

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This poem was written by my dad, Joe Earl Daugherty, four years before he died and a couple years prior to his cancer diagnoses. His prescience is found in his words. I got being a poet honest, I suppose. Happy Father’s Day, dad! We poets may die (usually too early), but our prose lives on!

 

The Sunday Sermon: Hank Green on What it Means to Matter

Check this one out, peeps! It’s worth your four minutes. I don’t have much to add to Hank’s presentation on this one 🙂

Have a great week! -Luke

My Worst Fears (An Honest Poem)

 

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“My Worst Fears” -an original poem by Luke Austin Daugherty. Copyright 2016, words and photo, all rights reserved. Written on my vintage Royal Mercury manual typewriter.

As always, thank you for reading and sharing! Please visit http://www.lukeaustindaugherty.com and find me on social media. -Luke

Watch the World Burn (A Poem)

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“Watch the World Burn” -an original poem by Luke Austin Daugherty. Copyright: 2015 picture and words, all rights reserved. No use without the permission of the author.

As always, thank you for reading and sharing my posts. -Luke

If World Peace -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty

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“If World Peace” -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty (page 1 of 2) Copyright 2015 on words and picture, All Rights Reserved by the author

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“If World Peace” -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty (page 2 of 2) Copyright 2015 on words and picture, All Rights Reserved by the author

As always, thank you for reading and sharing, my friends! We are all in the “life thing” together. -My Best to You, Luke

“Thinking of Victor, Fondly” -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty

"Thinking of Victor, Fondly" -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty, Copyright words/picture- 2015. All Rights Reserved.

“Thinking of Victor, Fondly” -A Poem by Luke Austin Daugherty, Copyright words/picture- 2015. All Rights Reserved.

My friends, be human. And tell those who mean something to you that they do. -Luke

Luke Austin Daugherty writing in Friendship, IN. Photo Credit: Nathanael Daugherty

Luke Austin Daugherty writing in Friendship, IN. Photo Credit: Nathanael Daugherty

SCOTUS Approves Gay Marriage in ALL States and This Former Homophobe is Happy About It!

I’ll keep this one short and hope you read the link to my other blog. Gay marriage is now legal in ALL states and has been recognized as Constitutional by the Supreme Court. It has been a long, hard road for LGBT couples and it is about damn time.

Many people, gay, straight, and everything in between, are overjoyed. Many others are not. They range in their reactions from being mildly bothered to foaming at the mouth, calling down fire and brimstone upon the ungodly.

I primarily want to address the angry folks. Years ago, I was a homophobe due to my former religious conviction. Last year, I wrote an article about my transition from being against the LGBT community to being a strong supporter and advocate. I ask that you take several minutes to read my story, especially if you don’t like me already. Please click the link below.

Confession of a Former Homophobe

To those who are on the side of marriage equality, but know others who are not or are anti-gay, I ask you to please share my story with your family and/or friends who are still on the “other side” of this issue. (I, for example, used to be for the right for gays to marry, yet believed homosexuality to be a “sin”) We are all in this thing called “life” together and are all living this American Experience. Let’s do what we can to encourage togetherness and change rather than division.

Thanks, Luke