Take a Walk
Patrick Benignus Bennett copyrighted

Took walk down smoke alley, formerly

Henry street; now, like industrial age smoke stacks billowing, staggered

Grey waste bins  ashtray tops release steady stealth smoke stream into passing crowds

Two dudes skillful blow ancient instrument from far away land, toss coins and halt to listen, admire
Assorted peoples nationalities classes in constant side-stepping; and a regular
One of Fagan’s sits sleep slumped with foam cup

How many, associate this time
With chocolate treats
Who is winning in that smybolic department
Advertisers or God

Store competition, guess how many eggs in perspex cabinet
Life competition, is there humankind solution that could keep it altogether  

City Sale
Patrick Benignus Bennett copyrighted

Jazz sextet of international flavouring , outside prominent store captured
Attention of Saturday passers-by; a plump elderly man, lime hoodie protrudes overcoat
Danced old man shuffle, while young
Bleached spiked punk-rocker tartan trousers leather jacket and chains, jived
His doc martins in front of easterly biting March wind halted crowd- with smile
passed I

The city’s on sale!
20% to 50% off just about everything, jobs included!


Another march marched through this March, shuffled feet
Huddled frightened, placards banners of economic outcast
For awhile twas a blast, couldn’t last
Of now; to weep too weep, jobless sheep

Still, old man shuffle
Punk jivin jazz
Didn’t cost a dime

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O’wail oh why
Patrick Benignus Bennett copyrighted
 
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
People accidents die; children starve; abused
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
People kill people; people kill creatures; people kill planet
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
 
Disease hops skips jumps, some in sneeze; people suffer too die
Down centuries disease hops skips jumps genes too generations and people die
 
And people in fear live too live in fear
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
In castles cottages apartments, they fear dwell too dwell fear
And times, the innocent die; that good person! in ’crossfire’ is caught
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
 
Drunk and..or drugged driver
O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
Drive-by killing; Savage beatings; O’wail on wail on
O why does God let this happen O’wail oh why oh why
 
And crops fail; riverbeds run dry; And floods destroy
And volcanoes spew; And winds toss; And earth in rage opens
And why, O why does God let this happen; O’wail oh why
 
Because, sometime somewhere someone, some human form
Choose, too blame, and say; God lets it happen; God does!
 
When all the while, some of it, is caused by simple physical earth
And when, when most of, is caused by human, simply by human
Then that most human thing comes to play, the blame game!
 
When acts of goodness you encounter
When acts of the good you perpetrate
Therein you know God
 
When harm is done to you; When harm is entertained by you
Therein you know; human; you know
 
Death comes to all; those
Who die unnaturally; usually
Do so, due to some human
Uninterested in the simple way of God
 
If blame game play, do so
With knowledge, no one
Ever has, or ever will, win.
 
Seek, to turn to
And not away from
 
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If In Likeness Grow
Patrick Benignus Bennett copyrighted
 
If in likeness grow
Greed too must go
If belief, instead deceit
Selfishness too must go
 
If banner wave belief
Advertise too, true delusion.

If one colour, be your blood sister-brother
Then all colours, be your cell sister-brother
All peoples akin
If in doubt, pride swallow, reach out
 
Instead feed human wants, feed spiritual need
Instead verbal negative, tongue hold, pray silent
 
Each temptation overcome, will
Strengthen spiritual self
Each temptation overcome, payment within, too spiritual
 
Each harm done, will
Revisit, within; circle
Each harm done, will
Revisit, some generation
 
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it is said!; "the road to Hell, is paved with good intentions";
it is also said!; "Power corrupts..."
And so to my mind view: Patrick Benignus Bennett
There are some who are unable to hear these statements; the paving with good intentions of the road to hell; is referring to interference in other peoples lives, without invite. Feeling the need to input directions that were not requested and/or making decisions without prior discussion with said person. This then in turn leads to conflict within relationships of all types and at all levels; family, partner, work and so forth.
It is this unnecessary uncalled for interference that is the relationship road into a hell of conflict; that can be acted out through, backbiting; one-upmanship; silent resentment; hidden revenge; and at times verbal conflict; and physical conflict.
And all because one was impatient to be heard or asked for advice/assistance and/or felt left out of a situation [that may have nothing to do with them in the first place] and/or just feels the need within self to be included; even if that inclusion paves the path to relationship(s) breakdown.
AND SO...
to my mind view... "power corrupts", does not necessarily mean, (though it has/does bring about financial corruption), the taking of self-ordained rewards. In its essence it means... that the mindset of those at any level, that hold a position of authority over another person(s) is vulnerable to their own minds making them believe that due to "title" held, that they are in some way superior humans to those they have a position of authority over; be they... supervisors; managers; charge-hands; foreperson; politicians; state heads; or any of the numerous cross-religious divides titles; and it is within these minds that the power (real or perceived) has the ability to corrupt that mind. Which in turn, corrupts their relationships with others; and can lead to the road to relationship too personal Hell.
Time for my mind to pop-down; be well; give someone a hug!
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[ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), as "Hell is full of good intentions or desires." (http://www.samueljohnson.com/road.html)]
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"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
Origin: This arose as a quotation by Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887:
William Pitt the Younger, The Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, is sometimes wrongly attributed as the source. He did say something similar though, in a speech to the UK House of Lords in 1770:
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it"

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/288200.html 

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And finally, some old philosophy that is much needed today...
In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about... (other person(s))???,"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."
 
"Test of Three?"
 
 "That's correct," Socrates continued.  "Before you talk about...(other person(s)) let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The First test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
 
 "No," the man/woman replied, "actually, I just heard about it."
 
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the Second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about...(other person(s))???, is it something good?"
  
"No, on the contrary..."
 
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about...(other person(s))???, even though you're not certain it's true?"
 
The man/woman  shrugged, a little embarrassed.
 
Socrates continued, "You may still pass though, because there is a Third test—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about...(other person(s))???,  going to be useful to me?"
 
"No, not really..."
 
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"
 
The man..woman was defeated and ashamed and said no more. This is one of the reasons Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.
----------------------------------------------AND REMEMBER

"...Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build-up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you..." {}JESUS{} Son of God!!!.............