Road To Perdition (A Poem)

The movie “Road To Perdition” is a fascinating, dark, and tragic story that is centered on a man whose business takes place at the end of a gun barrel. Set in the time period of the 1930′s, this story is the chronicle of Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) and his downward spiral into darkness as his life is ruined by cruelty and wrong choices. It’s a very interesting and sad movie, but I would recommend that it be watched with a clearplay as it is a Chicago/gangster movie with a fair amount of language. After watching the movie a couple of times (on a clearplay) this was my impression of the main character, and in a sense, it might be said for every character wrapped up in the shady dealings going on within this movie. Mike Sullivan is not the only character in the movie to take that road to perdition. This poem is for every man in the story who made the wrong choices but can’t turn back because he’s slid too far down into the darkness, and it was his own decisions that led him there…

 

ROAD TO PERDITION

A Poem by Lacey Deaver

All the wrong choices at all the wrong times.

A spiral downward into moral darkness.

A life stained with blood eclipsed in shadow.

That refused to let him repent of his crimes.

The soul seeks retribution, but when wielded by mortal man,

Death is a two-edged sword.

It cuts both victim and the guilty hand.

A heart once innocent is lost.

Where once a smile, warm and glad,

Never worried with a cost,

Now coldness makes cheap the price of sad.

The eye that hardens in the face of death

Is also the eye that secretly weeps.

The hands that hold the gun are shaking.

And in the dead of night, regret never sleeps.

Oh, broken man, what hindered you

From turning from this road?

You dared not look behind you,

Nor could you bear to harvest what you sowed.

Only vengeance did you think you craved.

Forgiveness died long ago.

You could have lived a different life

Than to law become a foe.

And yet there is he…he who looks up to you.

His young hands have not shed blood.

He would do anything for you.

But he cannot follow you down this road.

Free the boy, don’t let him stay

In this life that makes the soul decay.

For you won’t see Heaven, yet he may.

The final moment is drawing near.

Every second draws your life away.

No time for vindication now;

You shall not see another day.

If there is one request you must make,

One sight your heart would see,

Beg him not to follow your steps,

And from this road of perdition flee.

Live 1,000 Lives

Cats have nine lives, but I don’t envy them. For I live a thousand lives, and as I keep reading, I’ll live a thousand more. I pity the person who doesn’t read, for they only live one life. Me, I have limitless lives, so long as I don’t stop reading.

How many people wish they could be living another life than the one they’re living, and they don’t know how easy it is to do so! Pick up a book! You don’t know what you’re missing otherwise! In a book you can be whatever you want to be. Sure, when the story is over you have to come back to reality, but you have lived outside the bounds of normal for a little while. For a short time, you dwelt solely in the realm of imagination and words.

But you don’t only live another life when you read; you make new friends! If you care to, that is. Book characters can be as real as flesh and blood if you allow them to take you by the hand and lead you. Let them tell you their story, and by the end you either hate them or love them. I say hate, because you can make enemies in books too, did you know? People in stories can become some of your dearest friends, bitter enemies, close companions, and deadliest rivals. That’s how it is when you’re writing, too. Only when you write, you get to create all your own characters, and it’s very important to get to know them all very well in order to understand their motives for why they do what they do; why they are who they are. Even the bravest hero can have a skeleton in the closet. The villain with the blackest heart may be suffering from a long-ago tragedy. You will meet people you will never know otherwise when you read and write books.

Books are special, because they are a window to the imagination of the reader, and the author is letting the reader into their mind. Yes, there are some duds out there, but there are so many books that just leave you breathless because they are wonderful. There are books that cause you physical pain to have to put down, and sorrow when the last page is turned. Sometimes you travel with a character for so long that when you finally finish the story, you feel like you’re losing your best friend. Having read the complete Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur C. Doyle, I can attest to that.

But my point is, books are valuable. They are timeless. They will never go out of style, because beautiful stories never go out of style. To be able to read is to have the world at your fingertips. To be able to write is to utilize great power over the minds of millions. Never underestimate reading or writing. Both change the world.

 

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…The man who never reads lives only one.”

                                                                                                                             -George R.R. Martin

One Nation Under…?

This week the Second Presidential Debate of 2012 was held. Candidates President Obama and Governor Romney both had a chance to describe their plans for the future of America, their intentions and ideas. Unfortunately we can’t trust Mr. Obama because he’s a liar and somewhat morally challenged, not to mention leaving a trail of broken promises in his wake. And even Mr. Romney with his shining ideas and higher moral values, certainly will not be able to lift the nation out of the monstrous debt she’s in within just four years, or possibly even eight.

Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama say they want to fix the economy, create many more jobs and talk of using America’s natural resources instead of depending on other countries for them. Certainly Americans want jobs. Certainly Americans want a better economy. Certainly Americans want lower taxes and a way out of the national debt. The Presidential candidates are adamant about building a stronger economy. That and making new jobs seem to be the biggest priorities.

But as I’m listening to the speeches and debates made over the question of the next President and what plans are being laid out for America’s future, something struck me…where is God in all this? People talk about jobs and the economy and using the country’s natural resources, but shouldn’t the President also be concerned about trying to guide America under the original ideals of the Founding Fathers? They established a foundation for America based on Biblical principles because they believed in God. A godless nation is a failing nation.

George Washington said:

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”

Jobs are good and necessary to an efficient economy, but then, jobs shouldn’t be the only focus of the President. We need to remember Who is really in control of all. Not the President. Not Congress. Only by turning to the Lord can we hope to have a country that truly prospers and grows, leaving a worthy heritage for the coming generations. We are a nation under God. The man in the White House who leads us ought to be one who is at best a Christian, and at worst someone one who values the moral principles of God. If the people running for President always kept their focus on bringing the nation under the laws of Christ, we wouldn’t have to be so concerned about political parties. We wouldn’t be forced to choose the “lesser of two evils.” Unfortunately, we live in a world where people don’t care who runs the country as long as they get jobs handed to them and free paraphernalia. Many want to live life their own way with nobody to answer to, but they want the government to be their parent when many within the government are wicked who have little respect for God

Sometimes we need reminding of what we stand for. America holds the promise of freedom, but freedom in Christ brings the most glorious of privileges. We are not a nation under the Republicans or the Democrats. Only by following the Bible can we truly thrive together as a nation under God. It’s high time we returned to the thinking of the Founding Fathers.

O Coulson! My Coulson!

  “The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes.”

–Nick Fury, The Avengers

O Coulson! Phil Coulson! Our chaotic war is done;

The team has conquered every test, the victory is won.

The city is torn, but will be reborn, and the people are all rejoicing,

While all eyes follow the Avenger team, with their grateful thanks they are voicing.

But O heart! heart! heart!

O, bleeding drops of red,

Where on the floor Phil Coulson lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Coulson! Phil Coulson! Rise up and stand strongly thus;

Rise up–it’s to you we raise our hands–for without you, there would be no us.

For you were the brave and loyal comrade–the dependable binding around our group.

For you they cry, the weeping mass, and we stand to honor you in salute.

Here, Coulson! Noble agent!

This hand beneath your head;

Surely, it is not real that you lie there,

Fallen cold and dead.

Agent Coulson does not answer, his face is white and still;

S.H.I.E.L.D’s best man slain in cold disdain, his life rudely stopped, unfulfilled.

The evil is driven from our world, the battle, hard-fought, is won;

Triumphant Defenders who never surrender, did their duty and then moved on.

Rejoice, O lands, and shout, O people!

But I, with tears to shed,

Remember the hero that you, Coulson, were.

But you now lie cold and dead.
By Lacey Deaver

Two Of The Scariest Words

“My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me  work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and  I am in my own proper atmosphere. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.”-Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Who wouldn’t want to be incredibly smart and intelligent like Sherlock Holmes? Brilliant in deduction, clever in speech, discourteous in society (he’s a highly functioning sociopath); a very unusual man. He invented his job as the world’s only consulting detective, the one the police turned to when solving seemingly impossible crimes. Sherlock Holmes is such a monumental character in literature that some actually thought he was a real flesh-and-blood man.

It’s easy to admire the great detective (excuse me, consulting detective) and his intricate methods of flushing out the worst of criminals and solving the most puzzling riddles. But the thing I like the most about him is his determination to keep his brain active and busy at all times. He can’t stand an idle afternoon with nothing to stimulate his mind. Mental exercise is as necessary as breathing to him, which is partly why he would prefer chase after criminals and spend his days untangling the toughest mysteries even over reading a book. To Sherlock Holmes, the prospect of a dull afternoon sounds like a death knell in his sharp ears. So much so that when a client comes to him with a potential case, his exultation is extreme. His existence is continued by his need for brainwork.

Sherlock Holmes is fictional, but some of his attributes are not. People often let machines and other people do their thinking for them instead of utilizing their own  mental muscles.  We shouldn’t be lazy in that aspect. We should keep a healthy stock of curiosity and eagerness to learn and find out about things. Laziness of the mind holds one back from accomplishing hard and glorious tasks.

In my humble opinion, two of the scariest words in any language are: “I’m Bored”.

Doesn’t that phrase send shivers up your spine? It means (in so many words): “I am not trying to use my brain for anything useful right now, so I’ll just declare boredom and use that as an excuse to sit around and do nothing.” Don’t people understand we don’t have time to be bored? There’s so much to do and see and places to go! If nothing else, if there is not a pen or book nearby, you can always spend time in thought and prayer.

God designed our brains in such an incredibly intricate and special way. We shouldn’t waste this fundamental tool of ours but put it to work for the glory of God. You don’t have to go solve crimes to keep an active brain, and day dreaming doesn’t hurt, but it’s good to gain knowledge and seek wisdom. Try to learn something new every day. It’s exciting!

“A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, (Proverbs 24:5)”

A Night of ill Plotting

What names come to mind when you hear the word “traitor”?

Judas Iscariot? Marcus Brutus? Lando Calrissian?

In America, “traitor” is synonymous with the name Benedict Arnold. How could it not be? He was one of the most courageous and brilliantly calculating generals in Washington’s army. But he had a bitterness from several contributing factors that was stealthily growing inside him. It ate away at him bit by bit, and he didn’t try to check it. The valorous efforts that distinguished him in such a noble light and good graces of the Patriots were not enough to quench the angry darkness he felt when not given the credit and money he expected as his due.

It was this night, September 21, 1780 when Benedict Arnold met with Major John Andre of the British army to make a deal to surrender West Point. West Point was a key area positioned on the Hudson River. Whichever side commanded it would have control of the Hudson River and the ships that navigated it. Arnold’s secret sale of West Point would give British General Henry Clinton the means to divide the colonies by cutting off supply vessels from reaching the Continental Army. It was no small betrayal. Not only was Arnold desperately in debt and wanted the sum promised by the British for West Point, but he was angry that his heroism in the war seemed underappreciated. He felt humiliated that credit was taken from him and given to others.

It wasn’t only West Point that Arnold intended to sell to the British. When he threw in his lot with the redcoats he switched his loyalties but he also lost his respect. Even the English found it hard to fully trust him after he changed sides. George Washington was brokenhearted at Arnold’s betrayal.

Can you picture it in your mind’s eye? John Andre and Benedict Arnold, their heads together in a dark room with only a light or two burning as they discuss their nefarious plot? Perhaps it was about this very hour all those years ago. Had their plans succeeded, we may not have won the war. But you know the story. Major Andre was captured when trying to get back to the British lines, and the plans for selling West Point were found on him, including other documents in Arnold’s hand. Andre was hung for his treason. Arnold slipped way and escaped on the HSM Vulture.

Perhaps it’s easier to be more forgiving of Major Andre. There were some who wanted Arnold hung in his place. Andre was already fighting on England’s side, and he maintained his dignity and honor to the last. But Arnold, once the American hero, would forevermore be branded a traitor to the American Cause when he stooped to selling the safety of his country.

The Day The Nation Stood Still

So many are thinking of and remembering today the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Four passenger planes were hijacked by al-Qaeda members with the express intentions of targeting New York and Washington D.C. Two of the planes smashed into the World Trade Center, hitting both the North and the South towers and causing the collapse of both a very short while later. Another plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia soon afterward. The fourth plane, presumably headed for the White House in D.C. ended up crashing into a rural area in Pennsylvania because some brave passengers jumped the terrorists controlling the plane and forced them to fall short of their next strike.

The damage done to America that day was monumental, the damage to the hearts of the people indescribable. While many lives were lost, other lives were transformed forever. Innocence was lost in that before this we thought, “Oh, that could never happen to us!” So much was happening so fast in the course of a few hours, throwing the country into chaos. It was one of the worst attacks on American ground, and instigated a national nightmare.

But though eleven years later the horror is still fresh in the minds of many, America is still a strong nation. After what came to be known as 9/11 occurred, the nation was initially paralyzed with fear and grief. But we didn’t let that fear keep us down for long. The nation was determined to rebuild and reshape. We got hit hard, but we wouldn’t take a beating lying down. America would never be the same.

There is a verse that comes to mind in thinking about the tragedy of the Twin Towers. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…”

9/11 marks the anniversary of great sorrow for many who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack on America that day. But that verse in 2 Corinthians 4 could be applied to the black event, reminding us that God is still in control regardless of what happens, and if we obey God and trust Him then we can rise from the ashes with renewed strength after a calamity like 9/11. Especially in reading that we are “struck down, but not destroyed”.

Evil runs rampant in this world. But inevitably it cannot win, because Jesus Christ has overcome the world and his Father holds everything in His hands. After 9/11 America really woke up to the reality of terrorism being able to reach its long arm even all the way to New York and Washington D.C. It generated fresh determination and perseverance to protect our country that we love so much. We are “one nation under God” and will do everything we can to safely preserve the freedoms of America from the foul corruption of terrorism.

As you go through the day, remember the fallen. Remember the heroes. Remember that we are in God’s hands and He will take care of us because He loves us and gave His son to die for the world (and that includes the terrorists). Remember we can rebuild. Remember that we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

God Bless America.