Tag Archives: Pope

From Ramparts I Gaze Upon Grassy Plain

From ramparts I gaze upon grassy plain,

Imagination in overdrive with visions of the past.

These walls for protection are all that remains,

A wonder of man that for centuries has last.

 

O’ but the sights they surely must have seen,

Siege and catapult and bone-crushing blows.

Walls bathed in red corrupting lush green,

So many years have passed, it no longer shows.

 

Though beautiful now, what horrors must have been,

As conquerors pined for the treasures of this place.

Frightened citizens scurried as each attack did begin,

Praying to God for the safety of His grace.

 

As blood of man flowed in the name of power and God,

How many precious souls were sacrificed for naught.

Singing of Psalms while carrying thy staff and thy rod,

Marching into battle on the indulgences Rome taught.

 

Promises of Heaven under trumpets thundering call,

Warriors stood their sacred ground.

As each watched their brother with screams of pain fall,

Until not a man made a solitary sound.

 

Much sadness did spread losing husbands and fathers

For life ever after that no man can give.

Not one little bit did their deception bother

Sacrificing lives to horrors no man should live.

 

This warring way of life the Crusades did foster,

Succumbing to the desires of religions holy men.

All for the lands of others their coffers did prosper,

Uncaring towards those they’re charged to defend.

 

These ruins though amazing of time long gone by,

Raise up a sorrow for those who went before.

Reminding us of the men who sacrificed and died,

Hoping these atrocities will rear their heads no more.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Solemn And Desperate We Walk This Earth

Solemn and desperate we walk this earth

Spending life in a quest for the Almighty.

The One we think we know through books

Through hymns,

Through symbols,

Through statues,

Through all manner of mankind’s understanding.

Living this life for the hope of something better;

Squandering precious time at the crossroads,

Looking north, south, east and west directionless

Leads to an unfulfilled life–

One of sadness and regret as this door closes.

Assuredly this is not what is thirsted for,

Nor what the Creator desires for his children

Yet we pretend to be omniscient;

Claiming to know what God wants of us,

Acting as judge and jury over our fellow man.

Even the Bishop of Rome has seen the light saying,

“Who am I to judge” realizing his humanness.

What if we were to love our fellow man,

Love ourselves enough to live life to the fullest,

Wouldn’t we be living as we were designed to,

Letting bygones be bygones?

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Proponent of the Poor (Acrostic)

Proponent for the poor as the Good Book says,

Obeying the word divinely inspired in antiquity.

Practicing that which has for so long been preached,

Even amongst ever growing unpopularity.

Finally–perhaps a corner has been turned,

Revealing a man worthy of this sacrosanct reign.

Allowing himself to be humbled as others had not learned;

Nursing those whose lives epitomize great pain.

Could his motives be this solemn and pure

Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm so commanded;

Saving of souls through teaching assured,

                            …this as our God has demanded.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

A Life of Extravagance (Sonnet)

A life of extravagance looming large;

From gilded palace to jewelled robe.

Shepherd of man has failed his charge,

Faithful bewildered as xenophobe.

You undermine your Pope a spirit most humble,

For luxuries beyond the common man.

While continuing forth to suffer and stumble,

Creating a gluttons promised land.

You have lost all sight of your earthly charge,

Succumbing to frailties supposed immune.

Enshrined in greed and an ego large,

Treating your sheep as courtly buffoons.

Soon before God you will stand for your digression,

Praying to be spared Hell for your foolish obsession.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Farewell Knights Templar

Image Credit: wunderground.com

Image Credit: wunderground.com

The blood curdling scream from the dungeon below,

Made John pray to God for the hangman’s gallows.

This soldier of God stripped of vestments so pure,

Now nameless and faceless a test he was sure.

~

I’ve done what was asked by king, country and Pope

In exchange for a promise to Heaven elope.

If I fall in battle to those savages in the east,

To sling, bow and arrow or some other horrid beast.

~

Instead I’m betrayed by the kinsman I protect;

By cowards and fools those insignificant specks.,

Hiding behind crown whilst I lay on this rack,

Fingers and toes broke while they flail on my back.

~

These charges of heresy are baseless and false,

I’ll deny to my death, to my last beating pulse.

Phillip IV King of motherland France,

Cooked up this scheme devious to embolden his stance.

~

Our riches and land to be his at all costs,

No matter the lives of the Templar that are lost.

Castle and fortress captured by the crown,

Confiscated before Pope Clement could resound.

~

This murderous thief will be judged before God,

Without royal finements, naked and unshod.

Surely he’ll be banished to Hades for his crimes,

Whilst I’ll be looking down on his torment for all times.

~

Justice will be served though draw and quarter is my fate,

I long for the Lord at Saint Peter’s pearly gate.

For the righteous will receive promised Heaven’s just due,

Whilst river of fire awaits souls of evil to be threw.

~

Soon my dear comrades in paradise I will join,

Those of you who’ve gone before by the heathen on the coin.

We’ll reap our sweet vengeance on this coward of the throne,

He’ll burn in Hell, consumed by fire, for eternity alone.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~