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Posts Tagged ‘Forgiveness’

"The Old McKinney Square Is Gone" copyright 2008 (Revised) John J. Rigo, upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

1927 Collin County Courthouse, McKinney Texas ...

1927 Collin County Courthouse, McKinney Texas Historical Marker (Photo credit: fables98)

 
 
The Old McKinney Square is gone.
The place of adventure and discovery
that I found as a young man in 1970.
 
My background was of one born in New York City.
I had no trinkets or heirlooms from my past.
Old decaying Brownstones in Harlem had no such things
especially from the poor family of an iron and steel worker.
 
I discovered the joy of collecting antiques
on the Old McKinney Square in those days.
The collecting became a passion for me
as I called each antique a precious find.
 
There was a magic in those crowded
dusty shelves
packed with hidden mystery.
 
Each shop owner
each dealer
became first name friends
with a smile and greeting
as I searched
a part of each day. 
 
It was about 2001
that my quests were no more
for you see
I ran out of space
for those treasures. 
 
Today in another April in 2013
added to my life.
I decided to again
visit my Old McKinney Square.
 
The warm friendly faces
that I once knew
where gone into the dusty trail of time.
 
The crowded shelves of discovery were no more.
The store fronts were new.
Their new chic names in Gold letters on them.
 
The antiques were new
made to look old.
They lacked a certain warmth
and history in their shiny new look.
 
My heart filled with sadness
for I then realized
I too would soon be gone.
 
The Old McKinney Square is gone
never remembered
but forgotten.
 
All my sweet memories
of joys past
will also be gone
into the eternal sunset.

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“Running From Ourselves” copyright 2013 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 7, 2013| 1 Comment »

 
English: Icon of Jesus Christ

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We often run from ourselves.
We seek change from where we were.
We then find that our lives became a circle.
 
A new love
is the image
of the old love.
 
The new neighborhood
has the same uncaring neighbors
of the old neighborhood.
 
It is then we discover
we have only been running 
from ourselves.
 
True change in life
in finding happiness begins
when we find Christ.
 
 

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“Knowing What I Know Now” copyright 2013 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in A First Love is Never Forgotten, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 2, 2013| 2 Comments »

Courtesy of Fine Art America.com

Courtesy of Fine Art America.com

 
Knowing what I know now is a familiar saying.
With that knowledge and a time machine
where would I go now?
 
It would be the beginning of my life
back to the happiness days of my life
when I was a young soldier.
 
It would have been that day
in Happy, Texas when I first saw you.
The time we exchanged addresses
as the bus pulled out.
 
Knowing what I know now.
would I have lived my life differently?
I do know one thing for sure
the deep sadness I feel now
would not be within my being today.
 
A first love of the heart
is always remembered
never to be forgotten
in the eternal time
before us all.
 
 
 
 

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“To the Son I Never Had” copyright 2012, John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in A Christmas Thought: Looking back at the Son I Never Had, tagged , , , , , on April 1, 2013| 1 Comment »

 
 
Courtesy of philharras.wordpress.com

Courtesy of philharras.wordpress.com

This morning I thought of the Son I never had.
Today he would have been Fifty.
My son might have changed the world.
 
It would have been a better world
if my son had been born.
He may have been our President today.
 
It was fifty years ago
that at twenty-one
that my childhood bride
wanted to start a family.
 
It had only been a year
that I had been honorably discharged
from serving four year of military service.
 
It was a hard financial year for us both.
We were finally getting on our feet
with a new home and good jobs.
I told my child bride I wanted to wait. 
  
It was a month later
that she filed for a divorce.
It left me a shattered man
for a very long time.
 
There is no man
that lives a life
without some regrets.
 
Those regrets
seem to come
more often
lately.
 
 
 
 

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"A Conversation about Life and Death" copyright 2005 John J. Rigo "Rainbows Amidst Storms"

Posted in A Blessed Easter to All from John J. Rigo Texas' Commentator, One poem of Seven of the "Masters Series of Poems", Poetry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 

Courtesy of aboveandbeyonddautism.blogspot.com

The Master‘s hands were strong and hard
from years of work as a carpenter
just like his father.
 
The creation of His hands had a gentle quality
such as the toy camel and shepherd
He was crafting this night.
 
His sister had begged Him to make a toy for her child.
With love and humor He worked several nights.
In the back of the villa the room was small and cramped
making the carving difficult as the oil lamp light flickered.
 
Entering the doorway with a quiet sweep of the door blanket
came His sister’s oldest son.
Many questions burned in the mind
of this young man on this night.
 
Quietly he approached the Master
so as to not disturb His carving.
The young man whispered,
“Master do you have time to speak with me?”
 
Gently and with love the Master set the little wooden carving
aside and reached for the boy’s shoulder saying,
“What is troubling you this night
son of my sister?”
 
The boy replied,
“I am afraid about death
and where I will go when I die
since no one alive
has ever been to the place that dead people go
and returned
how am I to know what to expect?”
 
With patience and the deepest of kindness
toward the concerns of the young man
the Master spoke,
“Telling humanity of the world beyond death
would be like explaining
the sight of sunrise or sunset to a person
who had always been blind.”
 
He further explained,
“Beyond our lifetime is a world inconceivable
to the senses of man
beyond every gift rendered in this world around us. 
It is a world of being
in the midst of eternal love
and never fearing again.
 
It is knowing light beyond any light
we now know of in this world.
It is never being alone again
but cherished in the arms of a mother.
 
So will it be in the arms of our God
forever in eternal love
peace and happiness.”
So He spoke to me
the Master of my life.  
 

					
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"Ghostly, Do I Walk" copyright 2005 John J. Rigo "Roses Amidst Thorns"

					

					Posted in Selection from "Roses Amidst Thorns" published in 2005, tagged , , , , , , , , ,  on March 31, 2013|
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Courtesy of mcguirehimself.com
Courtesy of mcguirehimself.com


Chains of sorrow upon my neck


reaching for the ones I knew


unable to touch.


 


A slight breath of air


words spoken


 but not heard.


 


My world is full of “If I could’s”


no clock to turn back on my regrets.


I offer only a prayer to my unseen God


to let this end.


 


I say to you


there is no time left


but the time of this moment.


 


Time to forgive


time to say, “I love you.”


Time to give of yourself


for all that you could have done


with this precious thing called Life.


 


In so doing


 perhaps you not also be


on this ghostly path


that may never end for me.

					
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“There Will Never Be Days” copyright 2013 John J. Rigo, Upcoming Poetry Book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

					

					Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,  on March 29, 2013|
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Courtesy of relate.com
Courtesy of relate.com


I remember a young woman I dated over forty-five years ago. 


She was a consigliere for a major hotel on Stemmons.


Sex with her was like making love in a movie.


 


She would cover her body with baby oil


before getting on top of me.


She had one of the most beautiful bodies


I had ever seen on a woman.


 


Her body glistened as she moved on top of me.


Perhaps it was the way she titled her head upward


as her eyes rolled over in squeezing my organ tightly.


Ah…those days of pure sex.


There never be days and nights


like that again.


 


 


 


 


 

					
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“Waking Knight” copyright 2012 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

					

					Posted in Another point of view on Heaven, Poem, Poetry, tagged , , , , , , , , ,  on March 28, 2013|
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“The Kiss before the Battle with Evil” 
Picture Courtesy of pathguy.com


I awoke


as from a sleep


of death.


 


Long gentle fingers


were rubbing my forehead


the side of my face


touching my lips.


 


As my eyes opened


I knew I was no longer 


on my prior world of earth.


 


Before me I beheld


a beautiful maiden


of golden hair


skin of cream and light


eyes of blue/grey and gold.


 


There was no fear within me.


I was at a place where I was meant to be.


I was home in a castle of my Lord‘s place for me.


 


My eyes gazed upon my body.


Upon me where plates of armour.


Gold-Silver and various jewels


incrusted upon them.


 


As the maiden raised my head


I observed the symbols upon my breast-plate.


In the middle in Gold was a Lion.


 


On each side of it were Dragons


standing with their feet gently 


touching the Lion.


 


Above the Lion


flew a Golden Eagle


with wings of silver.


 


My armour gleamed


from head to toe


in this beautiful creation.


 


What battle has my Lord


prepared for me in this place?


Who was this maiden


who touches me with a loving touch?


 


The maiden spoke,


“My Lord, Evil awaits for battle.


Prepare thyself.”


 


 


 


 

					
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“The Immortality of Love” copyright 2013 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

					

					Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , ,  on March 21, 2013|
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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...
Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


I have been blessed by being loved by many woman.


The love I shared came over a lifetime of seventy plus years.


Each of these loves brought an aspect of God to my heart.


 


As a man I grew with each experience of being in Love.


Each were comforting fires on cold nights of my life.


Each experience brought me closer to the truth of life.


 


I now know that upon my death


I will rejoin the ultimate love of my life.


That Love will be Jesus Christ


Lord and Savior of my life.


 


If in your own life


you should be blessed in being loved by another


treat that love with the gentle hand of kindness.


 


Be not unkind toward love or resentful of love


but thankful each day that love is given to you.


Love is but the gentle breath of God upon your soul. 


 


 


 

					
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“Remembering The Moment” copyright 2010 John J. Rigo, upcoming book “Passion Amidst Apathy”

					

					Posted in A Poem of Memory by McKinney Poet John J. Rigo, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy", tagged , , , , , , , , , ,  on March 20, 2013|
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Courtesy of asmp.org
Courtesy of asmp.org


I am glad I am here to remember this moment.


There were dreams that I did not want to awake from.


There were days with those that I knew truly loved me.


 


They were days I did not want to end.


At times in the remembering there are tears.


The tears are not from sadness


 but for the happiness of the moment.


 


Will those dreams ever come again to me?


I think not for the flowers of youth bloom but once in our memories.


Precious memories that we hold on tightly close to our hearts.


Thank you for this day in my gift of rememberance.

					
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