A Poem that has influenced my life and spirituality for the past 48 years. 

While driving down the freeway in Hawaii in 1970, I was listening to my favorite radio station and this poem/record came on the air. I had to pull over and stop to listen. I was so moved, I called the radio station and they sent me the 45 rpm record. I listened to the poem over and over until I wrote every word down and copied it for others to have. I have shared this poem in sermons, talks and with people for the last 48 years.

If you like it, then you may want to listen to Richard Harris share it on You Tube.  If you Google it, just type in Poem by Richard Harris There are too many Saviors on My Cross. He wrote it about his homeland, Ireland, immersed in a religious conflict, but it speaks to the whole world today.

Richard Harris (1930-2002)

This great poem by the late actor and singer Richard Harris was given a superb dramatic reading by the author on his 1973 LP record entitled His Greatest Performances. It’s available on his CD entitled The Anthology 1968-1974: Man of Words. The various place names, the “orange” and the “green,” and the fact that Harris was Irish, made it obvious his specific subject was the conflict between Protestant and Catholic in Northern Ireland. Like all great poetry though, it rings true in a much broader context.

There Are Too Many Saviors on My Cross

There are too many saviors on my cross,

    lending their blood to flood out my ballot box with needs of their own.

Who put you there?

Who told you that that was your place?

You carry me secretly naked in your heart

and clothe me publicly in armor

crying “God is on our side,” yet I openly cry

Who is on mine?

Who?

Tell me, who?

You who bury your sons and cripple your fathers

whilst you bury my father in crippling his son.

The antiquated Saxon sword,

rusty in its scabbard of time now rises—

you gave it cause in my name,

bringing shame to the thorned head

that once bled for your salvation.

I hear your daily cries

in the far-off byways in your mouth

pointing north and south

and my Calvary looms again,

desperate in rebirth.

Your earth is partitioned,

but in contrition

it is the partition

in your hearts that you must abolish.

You nightly watchers of Gethsemane

who sat through my nightly trial delivering me from evil—

now deserted, I watch you share your silver.

Your purse, rich in hate,

bleeds my veins of love,

shattering my bone in the dust of the bogside and the Shankhill road.

There is no issue stronger than the tissue of love,

no need as holy as the palm outstretched in the run of generosity,

no monstrosity greater than the acre you inflict.

Who gave you the right to increase your fold

and decrease the pastures of my flock?

Who gave you the right?

Who gave it to you?

Who?

And in whose name do you fight?

I am not in heaven,

I am here,

hear me.

I am in you,

feel me.

I am of you,

be me.

I am with you,

see me.

I am for you,

need me.

I am all mankind;

only through kindness will you reach me.

What masked and bannered men can rock the ark

and navigate a course to their anointed kingdom come?

Who sailed their captain to waters that they troubled in my font,

sinking in the ignorant seas of prejudice?

There is no virgin willing to conceive in the heat of any bloody Sunday.

You crippled children lying in cries on Derry’s streets,

pushing your innocence to the full flush face of Christian guns,

battling the blame on each other,

do not grow tongues in your dying dumb wounds speaking my name.

I am not your prize in your death.

You have exorcized me in your game of politics.

Go home to your knees and worship me in any cloth,

for I was never tailor-made.

Who told you I was?

Who gave you the right to think it?

Take your beads in your crippled hands,

can you count my decades?

Take my love in your crippled hearts,

can you count the loss?

I am not orange.

I am not green.

I am a half-ripe fruit needing both colors to grow into ripeness,

and shame on you to have withered my orchard.

I in my poverty,

alone without trust,

cry shame on you

and shame on you again and again

for converting me into a bullet and shooting me into men’s hearts.

The ageless legend of my trial grows old

in the youth of your pulse staggering shamelessly from barricade to grave,

filing in the book of history my needless death one April.

Let me, in my betrayal, lie low in my grave,

and you, in your bitterness, lie low in yours,

for our measurements grow strangely dissimilar.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

sullied be thy name.

Soren Kierkegaard, the early Nineteenth Century Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic and religious writer, wrote his definition of a poet...."A poet is one whose heart is torn by secret sufferings, but whose lips are so strangely formed that when the sighs and cries escape them, they sound like beautiful music, and men crowd around and say, 'Sing for us soon again'. And that is as much as saying, may new sufferings torment your soul, but may your lips be formed as before, that we might hear the music, for the cries would surely frighten us."

Ron's Poetry, Prose and Pondered Thoughts.

In sharing these poems, writings and musings, I hope that some may resonate with your life experience and/or that they may stir new feelings, thoughts and questions which will expand your universe. The first poem has become a core experience of my life as it has played out to this point in time. ( You will find it in the Older Posts or click on the last one on the list to the right.) I am enjoying the journey, even with the uneasiness of parts along the way, I embrace life!

My Oath of Allegiance

The President, Vice President, all cabinet appointees, and other government officials including Senators and Representatives have their own oath of office giving greater allegiance to uphold the Constitution and laws, to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic (The basic oath of office was established in 1789 but this section was added around 1860 during the Civil War regarding traitors.] 

Judges, both Federal and State, have their own oath of office, as do the armed forces, state officials, etc. But as ordinary natural born citizens, we only have the Pledge of Allegiance, which we seldom speak any more.

As I read the oath given by those becoming new citizens from other countries, I am struck by the oath they must take, and I am moved by the emotion I have observed when I have seen these new citizens take that important step.  It has great meaning to them.

“I hereby declare, on oath [or, and solemnly affirm], that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law*; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God [optional].” [Underlined section has a few options regarding ability or religious training or belief under the law.]

As natural born citizens in the United States, or its territories, we have never had to swear our oath of allegiance to our country (except for the pledge of allegiance, or if we served in the military or held public office which required an oath to our country) in the same way new immigrants and refugees must pledge their allegiance when they become citizens. 

Since I have never had to make such an oath, I would like to do so now, freely. ”I, Ronald C. Kurtz, hereby declare and solemnly affirm, I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

The Separation of Powers & A Free Press:

The enemy of fear, fascism , & falsehood.

 During the Fall of 2015 I printed off the Constitution of the United States and began to read it again. My last reading was in the 1950’s.  I wanted to understand the truth of what politicians were talking about, or not talking about during the beginning months of the preparation for the 2016 Presidential Campaign.  Besides, there have been six new amendments since my last full reading.

I, for one, am very grateful to our founding fathers (and the men and women who supported them) for the great insights and excellent work they did to establish this Constitution.  Without it, I am afraid, we would be in more chaos than we are today and we may not have lasted as a nation and people.

What a system of checks and balances. I know that the interpretation of the Constitution has, and continues to be, a cause of great debate and problems for many politicians and citizens at times, as well as other countries and their citizens, but it remains as strong and flexible as it needs to be to help us grow into an even greater nation.    We are witnessing the bending and stretching of the Constitution, and all it stands for, under the new administration in 2017.  Whether we are Republicans, Democrats, Independents, or Green Party supporters, this nation will stand strong if we are vigilant and support the full intention of the Constitution.  As citizens, special interest groups, political parties and others seek to stretch and bend specific aspects of the intent of the Constitution, which was simply written by our founding fathers within 13 printed pages, including the first ten Amendments by 1791, it remains strong and true.

The separation of powers is critical, Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.  The first Amendment – Freedom of Religion, Press, and Expression was ratified first in 12/15/1791 with nine other important Amendments to follow during that vote.

”Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

While all that is written in articles, in a variety of printed forms, the written word may not all be exactly correct in every instance, still we do have responsible reporting in the news and there are a variety of sources sharing the news from different political and social views.  The problem is not in the news that is being reported, except for some “created or so-called fake news” coming in from other countries and sources through social media these days. The greater problem is with the words and actions that are spoken by public servants, especially those that seek to hide the truth from the American people, and then call the legitimate press the bad guys for reporting the news they are given, or witness.  One example: Richard Nixon would have remained in office if the news had not reported on the leaks surrounding Watergate.  If you are listening today, you know of other examples to quote. One could list the Oklahoma bombing or the 1930's in Germany as average citizens, many Christian, remained quiet and sometimes supportive of the rise of fascism in that country. We need to be vigilante, stay informed and speak our truth.                                                                                          
                                                                                    by Ron Kurtz

 

Love’s Thoughtful Day

When life was young you looked my way

With eyes that sparkled.

In the garden of discovering

We played – carefree.

There was only sun, and joy, and

Life with laughter.

We saw the love, though not the fear

That would come after.

Yet there are times in the game of love

When passion takes a rest.

It’s questions now, in the name of love,

“Have I done what was best?”

Questions and thoughts that seem to divide

Must come out from inside.

For love, if true, must suffer the test

Of doubt from the inside out.

Once we knew what each one thought and

Felt and had to say.

But now the answers must be found

Each in our own way.

Hope is then found in what might be

And not what was in the past,

For this is the only way

Love, once begun, will last.

So in this time of passion’s lull

I’ll discover anew,

Who you are and who I am, and

What brought me to you.

Then, in anticipation of a day

Not yet to be,

I’ll wait to see your smile again

As once you looked at me.

By Ron Kurtz

Life Rediscovered

How many rainbows have revealed themselves to the waiting eye

Yet we have found new meaning in them?

How many rocks, sticks, shells have been washed upon the shore

Yet we pick a few that take on new expressions for us?

How many songs have been sung out of loving/painful hearts,

But we claim new meaning from them?

How many times has the earth turned to and from the sun

Imaging sunrise and sunset, yet we stand in awe?

How many people have been known and loved,

Yet for us it is unique?

And, how many times has “I love you” been felt/expressed beginning with creation?

And creation begins anew when you say, “I love you”!

 It happens once for all, and all for us!

by Ron Kurtz

Christmas Haiku

Snowflakes

Uniquely different,

They pile upon each other,

Beauty, and the beast!

Visit to Santa & Christmas Morning

Listening and laughter,

  Longings, dreams manifested

Breath-taking moments.

Black Friday

Sleepy-eyed shoppers,

Frantic thoughts of dear-ones wishes,

Bargain gifts secured

By Ron Kurtz