S.ympathy A.ltruism D.etermination SOUP
All major religions preach love and forgiveness
All philosophers try to help us reach understanding
Positivity and negativity are part of our daily aliveness
Progress through life’s ups and downs is demanding
Sympathy for the Devil is an old Rolling Stones song
Sympathy for fellow human beings we need to stress
Forget about being absolutely right or absolutely wrong
Find solace in altruism, determine to clear up life’s mess
For the short time we have here on our planet Earth
Find understanding, fun and hope in our lives and labors
Move eagerly towards kindness, caring, sharing, and mirth
Make peace with enemies, family, international neighbors
Yes, there’s vitality and strength in understanding what is sad
Make our world a better place for doing good and fighting bad.
THUMBS UP and THUMBS DOWN
Thumbs up and thumbs down at Roman gladiator fights
thumbs up thumbs down now smiley face or frown
thumbs up thumbs down drunk filled days and nights
thumbs up thumbs down online for a narcissistic clown.
Certainly there must be further human depths to plumb
than the announcer saying, “let’s get ready to rumble”
then watching boxers getting beaten until they are numb
getting brain damaged, K.nocked O.ut, then fall and stumble.
Judging what others do and what they think and say
a simple thumbs up and thumbs down to close an issue
judging countless moments of life nodding aye or nay
without so much as stimulating very little brain tissue.
Through life’s immensities we should remain humble
for between birth and death we all frequently stumble.
SONNET SEPTET of CONSCIENTIOUS COUPLETS
When I say I think most of your ideas are great
I wish to eat from your intelligence plate.
I mean the food for thought inside your brain
The meat of what you mean and care to explain.
When I say that I love you forever and ever
And try very hard not to use the word never.
When I say forget about it give me a break
Accept my misgivings understand my mistakes.
When father said there are good and bad in every race
He took us children beyond color to a humanistic place.
Mother protected us by saying, “wait until he gets out” it was
behavioral protection from a whipping from Daddy no doubt.
When I feel your upset, anger, confusion, hear emotional cries
I begin understanding the humanity in you that no one denies.
Joey “Pepe Batbon” Connolly is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is the Poet Laureate of Tinian and enjoys stargazing.