Angel of Light

As the sun sets
And cloud blankets Earth
I stand upon a mountain
Looking down upon
God's Creation

And like a sweetly singing angel
A voice, lucent in the dusk,
A song sings the wind,
Brushes the plains,
Kisses His Work
With gentle blessings.

And that Precious Gift,
Womb of our very civilization
Breathes deeply and sighs,
The sweet exhalation
Of God Himself.

I'll let the video speak for itself.

Quote from Pike

Found this quote on another brothers blog. It's excerpted from Pike's morals and dogma, and I thought it was poetic.

"To make honor and duty the steady beacon-lights that shall guide your life-vessel over the stormy seas of time; to do that which it is right to do, not because it will ensure you success, or bring with it a reward, or gain the applause of men, or be “the best policy,” more prudent or more advisable; but because it is right, and therefore ought to be done; to war incessantly against error, intolerance, ignorance, and vice, and yet to pity those who err, to be tolerant even of intolerance, to teach the ignorant, and to labor to reclaim the vicious—these are some of the duties of a Mason."

Albert Pike

The Square of Virtue

I did not compose this, rather I found it in a forum I peruse regularly posted by a moderator. It's usually listed as anonymous, although I've found some sources say it was likely composed by Joseph Fort Newton. I found it particularly affecting.


"That Fellow's On the Square"


It matters not whate'er your lot 
or what your task may be 
One duty there remains for you, 
One duty stands for me. 
Be you a doctor skilled and wise, 
Or do your work for wage, 
A labourer upon the street, 
An artist on the stage; 
One glory still awaits for you. 
One honour that is fair, 
To have men say as you pass by: 
"That fellow's on the square."

Ah, here's a phrase that stands for much, 
Tis good old English, too; 
It means that men have confidence 
In everything you do. 
It means that what you have you've earned, 
And that you've done your best 
And when you go to sleep at night 
Untroubled you may rest. 
It means that conscience is your guide, 
And honour is your care; 
There is no greater praise than this: 
"That fellow's on the square."

And when I die I would not wish 
A lengthy epitaph; 
I do not want a headstone large, 
Carved with fulsome chaff. 
Pick out no single deed of mine, 
If such a deed there be, 
To 'grave upon my monument, 
For those who come to see. 
Just this one phrase of all I choose, 
To show my life was fair: 
"Here sleepeth now a fellow who 
Was always on the square." - Anon

My Grandfather's Masonry

(Disclaimer: Picture is a random one off the internet - my grandfather's apron has yet to be found!)

One of, if not my first memories of Freemasonry is that of my mom finding my grandfather's apron when she was going through his belongings after he died. I didn't understand what Masonry was back then (I was very young, although sadly I don't remember the exact year), nor the symbolism of the white leather apron. She was somewhat surprised when she came across, as he was never particularly active in the lodge after he moved to Midland. (Which they did when she was very young.)

One of my other goals while visiting Midland was to find out what had happened to his apron. Though it's in her possession and not mind, I would very much appreciate it if I could have it, as it would mean a lot to me. I'd like to think that he would be pleased that I am a Mason, and if I could wear his apron it would (at least to me, ever the traditional sentimentalist) bring me a little bit closer to him. I never really had a chance to know him when he was living, and this is one connection I can have to that part of the family.

Anyway, I asked, and I was a bit disappointed. My mom wasn't entirely sure where his apron ended up. We searched a couple boxes of his old belongings that she had (which was cool in and of itself), but no avail. She said she would search another place or two for it when she had the chance. Not that there's any rush. I won't be a Master Mason for another two, maybe three months. Still... I hope the search turns out positive. I don't want to seem like I have a feeling of entitlement, but after my mom's dad, I'm the next, and to my knowledge, only Mason in the family. I'd like to see his apron at the very least, and glean from it what I can about his Masonic past and, in some way, my Masonic heritage.

I also asked about jewelry. He was, as a hobby during his working life, and as a job in his retirement, a jeweler. He made jewelry, both as a hobby and an income, and he was pretty darn good at it. Some of his faceted gems are still displayed at the Midland Gem and Mineral Society's show cases. He was a good Faceter.

That said, apparently he did not own a single piece of Masonic jewelry. Not one ring, not one pin, not even a pair of cufflinks. Which is incredibly ironic, I think. The one person who could have a ring exactly how he wanted it at an affordable price, yet he never did. It's something to think about, and I honestly am not sure what to make of it. It makes me wish I had known him better, that I might understand why he never wore any jewelry.

Anyway, all of this is on my mind as I go towards my Fellow Craft next week. Of course during band camp, but things would be too boring if they were easy.

May happy thought for this fall? Student teaching and more Masonry in my life, less school and school related worries. I think I'll be a much happier person this fall than I typically am.

Verdant Valley

As the sun riseth over green hills of Earth,
(As a soprano sweetly kissing a note),
God's Creation doth reveal itself
In its purest form , a Vineyard of Life,
Unspoilt and fertile,
Beautiful in its nature and
Natural in its beauty
An organism unto itself
It may well be
The Face of God.

Wings of Wax or Soaring Above Babel

Who can find fault in Daedalus?
What sin had he,
Except that of a dreamer's heart?

Who condemns ambitions to soar,
Aspirations to fly,
Escaping one's confines, dreams of
Becoming
Something more?

What was his sin?
Surely it was he, in Icarus,
Who lost all?
Tell me, where resides the
Cautionary Tale?

Beautiful Night in Canyon

It's an absolutely gorgeous and still night outside. Very silent and quite. Completely undisturbed. One of the nights that will make me miss Canyon. Neither too hot nor too cold. Still. Fresh. The kind of night that makes you want to wake up early the next morning to see the sun rise. (Not that I will... far too late into the morning for that.)

Makes me realize how close I am to my time in Canyon (and in college) coming to a close. And being out there alone, it's easy to reflect upon all the evenings I've spent out there with friends. Over the summer, 4th of July with fraternity brothers. Evenings after exec councils. (And sometimes followed by a visit to my girlfriend when we first started dating and were both super busy.)

It's easy, with the Panhandle wind and incredibly unpredictable weather, to overlook evenings like this. So I'm glad I was able to appreciate at least one more while I'm here. Probably won't be the last, but I don't really know that.

You only live once.