20151201

Enjoying old age

I once was young
But now I'm old.
Silver I was
But now I'm gold.

I knew it all
I'd not be told
So confident
Yet now I fold.

A man of ice
Now not so cold.
I grabbed it all,
I've lost my hold.

Once up for sale
By now I'm sold.
Such a shy one
Now oh so bold.

Predictable,
I broke the mould.
Things are better
I think, all told.

20150808

Hot graphing

I took my temperature
With a tacograph
It was miles more than it should have been

I took my temperature
With a polygraph
It was at least a hundred and ten

I took my temperature
With a spirograph
A clear pattern began to emerge

I took my temperature
With an (a)ccel'rograph
It had erupted, set for the sky.


I took my temperature
With a cryptograph
Ju x-bt b-hb-jo b 110

20150715

Psalm 127

CM
If help the Lord the house won't send,
The builders work in vain.
A town the Lord will not defend,
The guards stand watch in vain.

In vain the early morn you greet,
In vain you late hours keep,
You toil for food you love to eat;
His loved ones he grants sleep.

Your children are the Lord's gift, grand,
They're his reward, in truth.
Arrows held in a warrior's hand
Are children of one's youth.

The man whose quiver's full is blessed,
He will not be ashamed
When with his foes he fights for rest,
Where justice is obtained.

Inconsistency

Some days I'm down, I just sit about and mope,
Other days I'm on top of it, I feel like the Pope.
Some days I feel like I'm sliding down a slope,
Other days I'm happy, I'm skipping with my rope.
Some days I'm stupid, I act like I'm a dope,
Other days I feel fine and I'm sure that I can cope.
Some days I'm negative, through the dark I grope,
Other days my heart's strong and stable, I'm bursting with hope.

20150703

Psalm 93

CM
The Lord reigns, robed in majesty,
Robed, armed with strength, he is.
Established is the world, we see,
Firm and secure it is.

Your throne established long ago,
You're ever and always.
The seas they raise their voice, we know,
Their voice the seas they raise.

The seas have lifted up, they have,
O Lord, their waves that pound,
Might-i-er than the thunder of
Great waters all around.

Might-ier than breakers of the sea
Lord up above, mighty,
Your statutes fixed will ever be,
Always your house holy.

20150402

Psalm 131

76.77.6
Lord, it is not proud, my heart,
Not haughty my eyes are.
Concerned myself I am not
With things great, with things that are
Too wonderful for me.

I am quieted and calmed,
I am like a weaned child.
Content like a child that's weaned,
Isra'l, hope now in the Lord
Both now and evermore.

Psalm 134

CM
Servants of the Lord, praise the Lord,
As by night, each one stands.
As there in the house of the Lord,
You all lift up your hands.

In the sanct'ry, the Lord praising,
May the Lord from Zion
May he bless you, Maker of heav'n
And Maker of the earth.

20150330

Psalm 100

Geneva

Shout out with joy before the Lord,
All peoples in the whole wide world.
With gladness worship, lift your voice,
Come now to him, let all rejoice.

Know that the Lord is God alone;
He made us and we are his own,
We are his people all our days,
The sheep that in his pasture graze.

Come, enter then his gates with praise,
And in his courts your voices raise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name;
Within his house your joy proclaim.

For God is good, and evermore
His love and goodness will endure.
All generations he will bless
With his continued faithfulness.

Psalm 103

Hyfrydol

O my soul to God give praises;
His pure name my heart will praise.
To the Lord, my soul, sing praises,
Don't forget his bounteous ways -
He forgives you all transgression
And he heals of all disease.
From the pit he grants redemption,
Crowns your head with love and grace.

All your longings satisfying
With the good that you desire,
He your youth revivifying
Like an eagle from the fire.
Righteous acts the Lord devises,
Justice for the ones oppressed,
He his ways made known to Moses
And to all the Israelites.

Full of grace and great compassions,
Slow to anger, rich his care,
God will end his accusations
And his wrath won’t last fore'er.
None of us is ever treated
As for sin we ought to be,
Or rewarded by the standard
Of our great iniquity.

High as heav’n above the earth is
So God's love for those who fear.
Just as far as east from west is
Our transgressions now appear.
As a father has compassion
So God's love’s on those who fear;
He remembers our formation,
He recalls that dust we are.

As for man his days are like grass,
Blooming like a meadow flow’r.
When the wind blows, then they soon pass,
By their place recalled no more.
But for endless years unbroken
God’s love stays with those who fear,
Righteousness with children’s children -
All who hold his cov’nant dear.

The Lord's throne he's set in heaven,
Over all his rule holds sway.
Praise God angels, who as bidden,
Mighty ones, his word obey.
Praise God, all his heavenly legions,
You who serve in all your ways.
Praise God all, where’er he reigns,
Praise God, O my soul, give praise.

Psalm 110

St Matthew

The Lord to my Lord thus decrees,
‘Sit down at my right hand
Until I make your enemies
Your stool on which to stand.’

Your mighty sceptre from Zi’n’s hill
O Lord you will extend;
And in the midst of foes you will
Rule o’er them in the end.

Your troops upon your battle day
Will then so willing be.
In holy majesty’s array,
Dawn’s womb youth’s dew will see.

The Lord has sworn, his mind not checked,
‘You are a priest fore’er
In order of Melchizedek’,
The priestly office bear.

The day of wrath - kings will be crushed,
The Lord’s at your right hand.
In nations all he does what’s just,
The dead in heaps will stand.

The ruler of the earth he’ll slay.
He’ll drink, to water led,
Drink from a brook beside the way,
So he’ll lift up his head.

Psalm 113

Monkland

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
You his servants praise accord.
Glory to the Lord’s great name;
Now and always praise proclaim.

God’s great name is to be blessed,
From sun’s rising to the west.
O’er all nations God is high;
High his glory o’er the sky.

With the Lord our God who’ll vie?
Sat upon his throne on high,
He who stoops to look and know,
Sees the heavens and earth below.

He the poor man makes arise
From the ash heap where he lies,
That he may exalted stand
With the princes in the land.

He the childless woman takes
And a joyful mother makes;
For such blessings praise accord,
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117

Moscow

All nations, praise the Lord;
All peoples in accord,
His glory raise!
Great is his love to us,
And the Lord’s faithfulness
Stands firm now and always,
O praise the Lord.

Psalm 121

CM
Up to the hills I lift my eyes -
From where will come my aid?
The Lord himself, my help, will rise,
He heav’n and earth has made.

He won’t allow your foot to slip -
The Watcher never sleeps.
No, Israel he will safely keep,
He slumbers not nor sleeps.

The Lord he watches o’er your way -
He shades you on the right.
The sun won’t cause you harm by day,
Nor will the moon by night.

The Lord no harm will let you know -
Your life he will watch o’er;
He’ll guard you as you come and go
Both now and evermore.

Psalm 122

CM
My heart rejoiced with those who said,
‘Let's go to God's house, all’.
Within Jerus'lem's gates we tread,
Our feet inside your wall.

Jerus'lem like a city rose,
In close, compacted ways.
That's where the tribes, God's tribes, give praise,
As Israel’s statute says.

The thrones of judgement there are set,
The thrones of David, true.
Pray that the place with peace be blessed,
Keep safe those who love you.

May there be peace your walls within
Your citadels know rest.
Now for the sake of kith and kin
 'With peace' I say 'be blessed'.

For God's own house, yes, for its sake,
Then your prosperity
Jerusalem, that will I seek,
Amen, so let it be.

20150306

Psalm 123

888888

To you, O King, I lift my eyes,
To you enthroned above the skies.
As slaves eyes watch their master’s hand,
Or maids besides their mistress stand,
To God, our Lord, our eyes we raise
Until his mercy he displays.

O Lord of grace, your mercy show,
Yes, let us your good favour know.
We’ve had our fill of mocking cries
Which constantly against us rise.
The proud have sought to ridicule,
The arrogant have been so cruel.

Psalm 126

CM

When God brought captives back to Zi’n
Like those we were who dream.
Our mouths were filled with laughter fine,
Our tongues with songs did teem.

‘For them the Lord has done great things’
Was in the nations said.
For us the Lord has done great things,
And we are overjoyed.

O Lord our fortunes now restore,
Like streams the South that sweep.
Those who in tears sowed seed before,
With songs of joy will reap.

The one who weeps as he goes out,
The seed to sow they bear,
Will come again with joyful shout,
With them their sheaves they bear.