By Joe LeClerc

The White Rose Knighted


Perfervia was the Queen


.........who knighted a white rose


.............................dressed in a garland


.....................................of pear garden green





and rose became man


........who crossed morphine and milk


.......,,,,,,,.......fawn drank the potion


..................................that made fawn dream a dryad


................................................whose garment was silk





and the silk nymph rambled


............and robbed monkeys and men


.........................till a tear tossed a turn-key


...........................................that opened a gaol. then





the bottom of heaven


...........dropped from the skies


..............................and the ear descent light





blinded nymph's eyes


.....nymph fell through a hole


..........in Swiss fromage skies


............and dropped to a place where breath whispered flames

....................................................flicker and die

Originally posted 8/22/07

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

Amazing...

Enjoy this actual, virtual choir, from Eric Whitacre.

And many thanks to fellow Phantom phan, liveforlife2494, from YouTube, for the tip. =)

Got the Barnes & Noble

for my b'day earlier this year, but was told


to wait as they were coming out with newer models...

I'm not sorry I didn't wait, but they do have one now
that has a color screen - just in time for Christmas =)

I'm really likin' mine. Plus, this is the cover I got,
with its quote from G. K. Chesterton: "Literature is a
luxury; fiction is a necessity."

Thanks to Anna

Revelation Song, Mercy Seat, Resurrection, The Passion from YouTube.

Common sense

ways to make a difference in our economy
locally, by using our $$$ wisely...

Read: Voting With Our Wallets,

by Joseph Pearce at the

Ink Desk.

On Hope for

Moscow Churches,

By Pavel Chichikov.


From: The Ink Desk

@

O Towering Pillars of Freedom!

by silhouette artist
Dan Paulos, whose
work is available at
Trinity Stores (link
to the right).

Originally published 2/7/06

The Right Way to Live: Plato's Republic for Catholic Students

by Richard Geraghty
is what I'm waiting on from
Amazon.

I've seen Dr. Geraghty on EWTN's very
interesting shorts: Moral Philosophy 101,
and am looking forward to reading his - and
Plato's - work.

*By Joe LeClerc

*This is the archived version
of this poem, originally published
in the 'future' on June 22, 2007...

M. LeClerc requested an easily-read
plain text type, available here. (link)

Although I had another request to

retain the pink version...

The White Rose Knighted


Perfervia was the Queen


.........who knighted a white rose


.............................dressed in a garland


.....................................of pear garden green




and rose became man


........who crossed morphine and milk


.......,,,,,,,.......fawn drank the potion


..................................that made fawn dream a dryad


.................................................whose garment was silk




and the silk nymph rambled


............and robbed monkeys and men


.........................till a tear tossed a turn-key


...........................................that opened a gaol. then




the bottom of heaven


...........dropped from the skies


..............................and the ear descent light




blinded nymph's eyes


.....nymph fell through a hole


..........in Swiss fromage skies


............and dropped to a place where breath whispered
flames


....................................................flicker and die

What I'm doing in a few...

V V Brown's "Shark in the Water", and the cast of Degrassi From YouTube.

Originally posted 10/9/10.

Let me know if

the colors hurt your eyes.

When in Rome - The Promise

I don't remember this at all from the '80's...

Originally posted 5/28/10

A Treat for Phantom Phans

Courtesy of:

Gaston Leroux,

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Schumacher,

Susan Boyle,

liveforlife2494,

&

Joseph Pearce from the Ink Desk.

Wasn't it G. K . Chesterton who said that
there's no such thing as a different subject?

Originally posted 3/1/10

Hey googlebot!

from Mountain View, CA...

Thanks for the hugs!

Merçi beaucoup, mon ami.




Oh, and backatcha, as well!

Links...

...extraordinaire, to:

The Bible, and

Scripture Catholic, which provides
Scriptural evidence for the teachings
of the Catholic Faith.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's

Love Never Dies
(opening in London March 9th), stars Ramin Karimloo
as the Phantom, and co-starring Sierra Boggess
as Christine.

This guy has got an amazing voice. In the 2004 movie
he played Christine's father, and he has already played
the role of Erik onstage in the original ALW version...

There's a bit of controversy surrounding this sequel -
most fans do not like the novel it's loosely based on.
I have read it (and reviewed it on Amazon), and found
it interesting enough, although it's not the way I would
have continued this story.

That said, I think Andrew Lloyd Webber could turn
the phone book into a hit musical.

I confess...

If I had Facebook, I would
definitely be a member.

Received these beautiful gifts...

...ordered from one of three
GetN2Give Programs at Trinity Stores;
these products benefitting the families of the
women who make these lovely and useful items.

From Ignatius Insight Scoop

an article by Taylor Caldwell I read over
thirty-five years ago, about a young couple
and unexpected aid they received during
a dangerous escape:

The Miracle at the Berlin Wall.

Originally posted 1/20/09

The Priests

Singing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu

From Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera

While Floating High Above.

Happy Birthday Monsieur Gerard!

Gerard Butler, aka the Phantom, that is! =)

Screencap from

Screenmusings.

An extraordinary offering from EWTN:

Available from their Audio Library:

The Quest for Shakespeare, with Joseph Pearce. (link)

If you haven't caught the program on tv, here's your
chance to listen in.


Originally posted: 4/22/09

Am waiting on

Chosen:
How Christ Sent Twenty-three
Surprised Converts to Replant
His Vineyard

just released from Ignatius Press...

Can't wait!

(Shhh! One's a Christmas present=)

Congratulations to PhatCatholic!

and his new bride!

There's a beautiful video (with
great music!), posted from their
wedding day, too...

Best wishes always and
God bless you both!

Thank you to whoever translated
this blog into (what I believe is)...

Greek. =)

Originally posted 9/16/09 =)

Best wishes and many blessings...

to Dawn Eden!

Catholic convert, prolife champion, and
blogger extraordinaire since 2002. She's
also the author of:

The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment
While Keeping Your Clothes On,

(this edition, one of which is a happy addition
to my library shelf)...

and is also available in a Spanish language
version - both permanently linked on the right-
hand side under "Books", for your convenience.

Dawn has discontinued her blog,
The Dawn Patrol, after seven years of blogging,
much of which not only detailed her conversion to
Catholicism from Judaism, and her work in the
world of rock journalism, but chronicled her
intensively concentrated pro-life work and exposes
of the pro-abortion agenda. Also quite amazing,
was the conversion of her pro-life ally and some-
times-poster The Raving Atheist, to
The Raving Theist, thanks be to God!

My thanks too, to Dawn for stopping by and
commenting here - and for being one of the first
to link to my blog, (and for keeping it linked, too!)

Dawn's blog will remain linked here as well; her
contribution to the pro-life cause has been ex-
tensive, and her work has been used as a ref-
erence many times over the years.

God bless you, Dawn, in your continued service
to our dear Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Joseph Pearce is writing

a second book on William Shakespeare -

Read all about it at the

Ink Desk.

Originally posted 5/09

Dear Barbara,

Just in case you stop by here again,
I received your note - I sent you two
emails this past week from my other
account as well, so I guess you didn't
get them either...

I will write, but just wanted to let you
know ASAP that I think your idea is an
excellent one! Your mom and her work
were honored in D.C. back in 1972 -
there's no reason her enchanting poetry
shouldn't be delighting the children who
reside there now...

I will write to you soon - please keep
me apprised, too!

Originally posted in the "future" on 8/30/09

Thinkin' of linkin'

this excellent
Concordance to the Bible,
in my sidebar...

With many thanks to:

PhatCatholic Apologetics,

for the excellent references
in theirs!

Anybody know...

if there's any truth to the story
that Steven Spielberg owns the rights
to Susan Kay's Phantom?

I was not aware that he was a phan of
the story. Have read a bit of Phantom
fic since having seen the 2004 movie
this past year, & wrote a couple of reviews
over at Amazon, although not for all of
the books that I've read. My favorite is
Deception: A Phantom of the Opera Novel,
by Shirley Yoshinaka. I haven't read
much fiction lately, but was drawn to
the story & the character of Erik, who
actually has a Wikipedia write up.

A few years ago a blogger wrote quite
extensively on the similarities of a
different character and his Christian
values, although it was not a story
that dealt directly with Christianity.

More to come on the subject...

From the Carmelite Nuns...

of Japan.












Japanese Madonnas












Originally posted 2/11/06

Saw them this weekend...

Boys Like Girls, Never Shout Never, &

The Ready Set.

Originally posted 7/20/09

Haunting...

From G. K. Chesterton: ILNA 29 Oct 1921

Bolshevism and Big Business
are very much alike; they are
both built on the truth that
everything is easy and simple
if once you eliminate liberty...

Very neat drawing

of Saint Michael the Archangel,

who looks strikingly familiar...

From:

The Art of David Myers.

Here's another from Gilbert Keith...

Chesterton (ILNA 15 July 1922):

Art is born when the temporary touches
the eternal; the shock of beauty is when the
irresistible force hits the immovable post...

Too

true...

I don't usually post political
commentary, but I thought
I'd state the obvious anyway.

Thanks to CC @ The Crescat
for the link.

What I'm reading

The Evidential Power of Beauty:
Science and Theology Meet,
by Thomas Dubay.


An apt presentation of the subject & its
many sub-categories, from our Creator's
tangible imaginings -

At least those He's let us know a bit about.

Click on the image

to read more about a puzzle
that tells tales by "Old Salte"
puzzle-cutter, Ted Malley...















Originally posted on 2/5/09

*More of the wonderful art

of "Titanic" proportions...

By portrait artist Ylli, from
his eBay Store.

*And yes, he does family
portraits from photos, too.

Some of my favorite things

I received for my b'day this year:

1) A poem:

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer,
written for her daughters, sent to me by
her daughter Barbara (Beyer Malley),
my new adopted sister! :D

Heritage


In love's most secret alchemy, divine,

I bore you. You are mine—and yet not mine.

Ancestral patterns blending with the new

Designed the special pattern that is You.


So did the present and the past devise

Your fair young face, your tender, laughing eyes!

Amazed, I look upon your grace and mirth

As might at some sweet flower the marveling earth.

Barbara is currently working on another
book of her mother's poetry, which I've loved
since I was a child. Then...

2) a link:

From Thomas - coincidentally, to the very
same poem of Ernestine's that I read when I
was a kid, called The Laughing Willow.
Thomas, I got more hits off that one link
than I have all year! XD

...a

3) Halo :

by Beyoncé.
It's not easy, but I'm working on it:)

& forgive my unintentional omission,
but I also got...

4) a visit from dear
Saint Nick:D

Caught

Moral Philosophy 101
with Dr. Richard Geraghty (link)
(on EWTN) recently...

Monday & Tuesday @ about
7:50 A.M; "class" lasts for about
ten minutes...

Will post more, especially if
I find him on YouTube...

Originally posted 2/9/09

Got mine!

from Ignatius Press...

Dear and Glorious Physician,
by Taylor Caldwell -

H/T: Mom:-)

Growing up, this book, (one
of my mother's favorites) - about
St. Luke, was practically required
reading.

It has been out-of-print for a while
now, so it's great to see Ignatius Press
making it available again.

Originally posted 8/2/08

From: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA:

THE MOVIE LIBRETTO

Interesting question posed

from my Chesterton Yahoo group:

Why haven't Catholic pro-choice
politicians, like Joe Biden, been
excommunicated? The questioner
includes the fact that the Church has
historically been reluctant to take such
action.

Understanding that the Church is not a
democracy, my opinion is that they cer-
tainly should do so. Having not been
originally married in the Catholic Church,
I was unable to receive Communion for
many years. So, I went to Mass & sang
in the choir, but did not receive. Thank-
fully, that problem was resolved. The
Eucharist is not to be taken lightly, & God
is not just some far-away entity that is to
be appeased on Sundays & forgotten about
the rest of the week. His Words are to be
given great deliberation, & applied to our
lives, which definitely includes what we
stand for, & how we vote.

Prolife abortion counters

can be found here. (link)

Hat tip:

Catholic Fire. (link)

The Pieta

The beautiful papercut-
ting of silhouette artist
Sister Mary Jean Dorcy


Originally posted 2/5/06

Pieta

by Dan Paulos.

Print available

@Trinity Stores.

Originally posted 11/17/05

Thy Will Be Done
by Danny Hahlbolm

A reminder of His
love for us.

This artist's work
can be found at
AllPosters, linked
on the right (or click
on the picture above).

Interesting interview

posted by Carl Olson @

Insight Scoop, of Fr. Joseph

Fessio & biographer Joseph

Pearce, taped earlier this week,

on the Catholicism of William
Shakespeare...

Which happens to be the

subject of Pearce's latest bio,
The Quest for Shakespeare:
The Bard of Avon and the
Church of Rome...

The links to

the critique which

prompted this video

response, can be found

here.

Yet another

from G. K. Chesterton (ILNA 8 July 1922):

It is human to err; and the only final and
deadly error, among all our errors, is denying
that we have ever erred.

Bravo!

Awesome job... &

Bonne idée...

n'est-ce pas? (link:)

Two classics from YouTube...

One old, one new(er)...



Dancing Queen, & Sorry, (Blame It on Me)



Originally posted 1/26/09

Maybe

today? (link)

I thought everyone knew

that, in regard to Catholicism,

the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. (link)

Silly me.

On the ninth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

this! :D

GUESS WHO'S ON YOUTUBE!!!

Fr. Leo Clifford!!!

LISTEN IN WHEN YOU CAN -

Thanks 2 Paul @

LifeIsBeautiful777
for posting many of
Fr. Clifford's insightful
Reflections for us! :)

Patrick Wilson singing
Oh What a Beautiful Morning

from the Broadway revival of
Oklahoma! from a few years back.

He was a wonderful Raoul in the 2004
movie version of The Phantom of the
Opera - & is quite an exceptional singer,
as can be heard in the following short clip,
where he sings Prima Donna from PotO,
(below). He's got a great voice, & hits
those notes effortlessly! :D

Hilarious scene from The Phantom of the Opera (2004).

Minnie Driver's character, Carlotta, is a panic! xD

Enjoy!

From:

Catholic Fire: The Priests:
O Holy Night

The Pro-life, longtime Raving Atheist

is now The Raving Theist!

Hat tip: Dawn Eden.

Angels of Music

Celtic Woman, singing O Holy Night.

Thanks to Jetuber, @ Youtube.

Trivia quest

Who said,

"They're gone for the day."

& too, who said?

"Something else by Verdi"...

1) Name the character

2) Name the actor

24 hr. Eucharistic Adoration

here.

Great vid & song from

Beyoncé - If I Were A Boy (link)

Can't post the vid, but can post
the link to it. I'm more of a music
person, as I can't always catch
the lyrics - & at first the words to
this song were kind of confusing.
However, the melody & Beyoncé's
beautiful singing drew me to the
video, which makes the meaning
clear.

Am actually more familiar with
the work of Beyoncé's sister
Solange Knowles, from the enter-
taining cheerleader-themed movie
(yes, you heard right), Bring It On:
All or Nothing (2006), with
Gus Carr & a hilarious (IMO)
performance by Heroes star
Hayden Panettiere - talented
performers all.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Gerard Butler!

From one of your many Phantom phans! :D

Having only been recently introduced to the
character of Erik (the Phantom), I found it
to be an extraordinary story that shook me
to my roots. I'd of course heard of the
1925 silent movie starring the great Lon
Chaney as The Phantom of the Opera, based
on the 1910 Gaston Leroux novel, Le Fantôme
de l'Opéra. The story that struck me, however,
was the 2004 version starring Gerard Butler,
Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer
Ellison, & Miranda Richardson - directed by
Joel Schumacher, with an outstanding score
with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and
lyrics by Charles Hart.

I like musicals when they are well done.
IMO, this had everything I look for in a tale
well told, & then some.

Phantom of the Opera photo courtesy of:
Phantom of the Opera Screencaps.

Dr. Thursday is blogging again!

A regular at
The Blog of the American
Chesterton Society

& Mrs. Brown's
Flying Stars,

Dr. T has re-ignited

GKC's Favourite,

as well as starting a blog featuring
original short stories:

Dr. Thursday's Stories.

It's been a long time since I've
stomped those blogs...

I wonder if they'd remember me?

?

5 *****'s!!

Via YouTube...

THE VOTE REAPER

From: Machosauceproductions,

Who's got my vote!

From Father Frank Pavone's

YouTube channel...

An important

pro-life message,

from a press conference at the
National Press Club, prior to
the 2000 Presidential
election...

Which still applies, this
election year.

From YouTube...

& Catholic Fire...


Fred Thompson's speech

at the

Republican National Convention
last night...

IMO, he gets ***** & an A++ !!!

Thr

~ust...

&

Parry!!

@ First Things...

Found courtesy of II Scoop,
concerning a review of
The Quest for Shakespeare:
The Bard of Avon and the Church
of Rome, by Joseph Pearce -

and its author's reply.

HOW


DO


YOU


DO


THAT?



------------------------>

From St. John Vianney...

“Look at this other one, who seems to
want to give his whole life for God, whose
ardor all the torments there are cannot
damp. A tiny bit of scandalmongering …

a word of calumny … even a slightly cold
reception or a small injustice done to him …

a kindness returned by ingratitude …
immediately gives birth in him to feelings
of hatred, of revenge, of dislike, to the point,
often, of his never wishing to see his neighbor
again or at least of treating him coldly with
an air which shows very plainly what is
going on in his heart. And how many times
is this his waking thought, just as it was the
thought that almost prevented him from
sleeping? Alas, my dear brethren, we are
poor stuff, and we should count very little
upon our good resolutions!” - Source

Thanks to Terry from Abbey-Roads2.

Eric, over at The Daily Eudemon, wrote a
very interesting article on St. John Vianney
as well.

Breathtaking!

Our Lady of the Oaks, by

Jef Murray, whose work can be viewed
& is available at Mystical Realms.

Mr. Murray also did the illustrations
for Joseph Pearce's recent book of poetry,

Divining Divinity.

A Pro-Life Petition

The 50,000,000 Project,
found through

Catholic Answers Forums.

Please sign if you support
their efforts, over @

911babies.com