Tony Haynes

“A Priest And A Rabbi Have Lunch”

A chance encounter…

Prompted a Priest and a
Rabbi to have lunch one day
It was kosher & cordial as they munched away
Exchanging ideas and subjects tossed
Starting with the Inquisition
Then ending with the Holocaust

& The Church’s position regarding lawsuits against Priests

And Israel’s transition in a fragile Middle East

Rabbi and Priest
As you would guess
Both had strong convictions
But agreed it is best
If we as a people…

Have courage to forgive
Addressing
Vulnerability we could
Evolve to live & let live

Lunch brought food for spirit
Under mutual respect
Now when lunch was over – Both men reached for the check
Covered the other’s meal, a tip and then their own
Heading out in one direction…

…To show us what they’d been shown

“Sadness Has Your Name On It”

My sadness has a first name
It is Y-O-U my love
Sadness has a last name
Every letter spells you too my love
Rewritten by guess who my love?
You are my sadness – you lay claim on it
Sadness has your name on it

Contradict this if you can
Oh my love, erase it
My existence was not
Planned to embrace it
And yet the life I’ve adapted to
Named my sadness after you
I would that it be known by any name
Other than yours
Named after metaphors…

…Or a sandless shore conquistadors explored
And as a reward found no shame on it
You are the sadness that pushed me overboard
So what else could I do but write your name on it?