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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


RIGHT RULE – 14 October 2008
By Mary T. Hoffman

Today’s world leaders, as well as everyone else, should heed the wisdom in this poem.

Georgios Pisides (Γεώργιος Πισίδης) was a 7th century Greek Christian. The Latin form of his name is Pisida, as in George Pisida.

RIGHT RULE
By George Pisida (Georgios Pisides, 7th Century Greek Christian)
(Translation by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

Some yearn to rule the state, to sit above,
And touch the cares of hate as near as love;
Some their own reason for tribunal take,
And for all thrones the humblest prayers they make;
Some love the orator's vain-glorious art, –
The wise love silence and the hush of heart, –
Some to ambition's spirit-curse are fain,
That golden apple with a bloody stain;
While some do battle in her face (more rife
Of noble ends) and conquer strife with strife:
And while your groaning tables gladden these,
Satiety's quick chariot to disease,
Hunger the wise man helps, to water, bread,
And light wings to the dreams about his head.
The sage o'er all the world his sceptre waves,
And earth is common ground to thrones and graves.

Also visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20070929.html 

For a large collection of poems and stories, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetrydir.html

Go on to: Today’s Thoughts – 15 October 2008
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