#you’ll deal with your crush once this famine is over

[gd-dollopole]

No because let’s talk about the sexual tension between Merlin and Arthur when Arthur forces Merlin to eat the rat soup… I mean, it’s just rat soup. Arthur had no right to make it gay. But he did. That was so gay. Let’s thank the rat, a sacrifice had to be made for Arthur and Merlin to eye fuck each other.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Two: Famine (Prompto x Reader) Chapter One

Once again, I’m literally just copying and pasting from my Wattpad account (Link located on my profile!)

A/n: As stated in the first book, you'll only be able to choose your name and eye color. Hair color is already determined due to which role of the Horsemen you take upon in said book. Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!! •••••••••••••••••••• "Finally made it," Noctis sighed in relief after stepping off the boat and walking through the streets of Altissia.

Prompto had his camera at the ready for anything that caught his eye. He found himself enthralled by the beautiful city upon the water and was tempted to take a picture of everything. "I'm gonna need more space on my camera."

"Let's look around the city for a while. We could use a break," Noctis said.

"Indeed," Ignis agreed with the young prince.

Without a care in the world, Prompto dashed off in search of the most beautiful sights in all of Altissia. He was distracted by the numerous of stalls and what they offered. Many were brimming with gorgeous flowers while others sold little knickknacks.

When Prompto felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he lowered his camera and checked to see who was contacting him. It was a short text from Noctis.

Meet at the Leville when you're done

Prompto decided not to text back due to how excited he was to add more photos to his growing collection. He slid the device back into his pocket and took off, once again, with a joyful skip in his step.

While taking a picture of a fountain, the photographer felt something hit his shoe. Lowering his camera, he glanced down to see what had thumped against his boot. "What is that?" He bent down and picked up the golden, spherical object.

Eyes narrowed, he examined the glowing orb. It radiated with a bright yellow, but it wasn't overbearing. A small wisp of white pulsated inside the strange ornament and surged around the small space it was housed in, bouncing off the glass-like texture.

"You're the one, huh?" Prompto spun around at hearing the feminine voice and saw a girl in strange attire standing directly behind him.

He stumbled back in shock, nearly falling into the fountain. The girl quickly lunged out and grabbed the front of his shirt before he fell into the water. She pulled him back onto his feet and released him when he was steady.

Prompto swallowed nervously, unable to make eye contact with the beautiful girl in front of him. "T-Thanks..."

"You're welcome," she smiled sweetly in return. The sharpshooter felt his heart flutter at the kind, beautiful gesture and gulped nervously. He could feel his palms sweating just being in her presence.

When he remembered what she said when he turned around, he held out the orb. "This is yours, r-right?"

"Yeah, but..." She placed her hand over the object and pushed it towards his chest as it remained in his hand. "Could you hang on to it for me? I'd appreciate it."

"U-Uh, sure," he meekly responds. He placed the orb into his pocket and nervously fiddled with his camera.

"What's your name?" The golden-haired girl inquired.

"Prompto," the boy responded, finally being able to have some control of his voice. It cracked a little, but he looks up to see if the girl heard. Luckily, she didn't acknowledge it if she did.

"Nice to meet you, Prompto. I'm (Y/n)." She spotted the camera in his hand and pointed to it. "You're a photographer?"

"Um, yeah. But I'm not a professional," he said.

"May I?" She politely asked. Prompto handed his camera over, allowing her to browse through the numerous of photos from his journey so far. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and admired each and every shot. Her (e/c) eyes gleamed in astonishment, flabbergasted at the boy's skill. "Wow... And you said you aren't a professional photographer?"

"Yeah." Prompto sat beside (Y/n), who continued to scroll through the pictures.

"You're kidding, right? These are amazing," she complimented, tearing her eyes from the small screen to meet Prompto's gaze. "If you want, I can show you a few places where the view is amazing." Prompto didn't need to ponder his answer. He accepted her offer and the two departed from the fountain.

Hours passed and Prompto had been gifted the most beautiful sights Altissia had to offer thanks to (Y/n). Unbeknownst to the girl, the sharpshooter took her picture while she was occupied with watching the setting sun.

(Y/n) waved farewell to Prompto in front of the Leville before vanishing into the night. The giddy smile plastered to his face didn't budge as he found out from the desk clerk which room Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis were in.

The moment he set foot in the hotel room, Gladio noticed the smile glued to the younger boy's face. "What's with the weird smile?"

"Nothing," Prompto snappily replied, not wanting to tell the others about his day with (Y/n), especially knowing Gladio would brutally tease him until he was satisfied.

Noctis looked up from his phone as he laid down on the bed beside the window. "Something happened. You're just not tellin' us."

"Noct!" The blonde wailed.

"Tell us, blondie," the brute demanded.

"No!"

"A lady, perhaps?" Ignis pondered.

"N-No..." Prompto meekly declined.

Gladio grinned, knowing the tactician had hit the nail on the head by seeing the marksman's reaction. "Haven't been in Altissia for a day and you're already hitting it off with the ladies, huh?"

Prompto thumped his fingers against his camera, hesitant in revealing (Y/n) to his friends. "M-Maybe..."

"What's her name?" Noctis pried, sitting up and swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

"Not telling you," the blonde retorts smugly. "She's my very own goddess."

"We definitely need to find out who she is," Gladio guffawed.

"What about Cindy?" The prince asked. "Thought you had a crush on her."

Prompto moves across the room to sit on the end of the same bed as Noctis. "Cindy's married to her job. At least this girl actually wanted me to hang out with her."

"Wait..." Noctis stopped for a brief pause before continuing. "She asked you?"

The sharpshooter pouted, offended by his best friend's question. "Yeah! Why do you think no girl would want to ask me to hang out?"

"No reason," the raven-haired boy shrugged before laying back down.

"Bet you were a stuttering mess the entire time," the shield rebuttals with a chuckle.

"Only in the beginning..." Prompto responded under his breath for only his ears to hear. He placed his camera on the nightstand, ignoring the remaining comments from Gladio. He got ready for bed and was able to sleep soundly.

<————————<<<<<<<<<

A couple of days have passed since the royal retinue arrived in Altissia. They managed to find Maagho as Cid had told them about an old friend of his and Regis' who owns and runs the bar on the boat ride from Cape Caem to Altissia. While chatting with Weskham, the group had received an unexpected visit from Camelia Claustra, the first secretary of Accordo.

Camelia invited Noctis to her estate within the city to discuss the rite, which was scheduled for tomorrow. In fear of the empire attacking during the rite, the prince managed to strike a deal with the first secretary to ensure the safety of everyone.

Once satisfied, Noctis left the estate and saw Prompto was missing. "Hey, where's Prompto?"

"Wandered off to see his girlfriend," Gladio scoffed.

Noctis rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Guess we'll tell him when he gets back to the hotel."

On the other side of Altissia, Prompto and (Y/n) were enjoying each other's company. They were riding in a gondola, chatting about anything and everything that was on their minds.

The golden-haired girl crossed her legs, leaning against her knees as she sat across from the boy on the small boat. "So tell me, Prompto—have you heard the tale of the Four Horsemen?"

"Well, yeah. Why do you ask?" Prompto pondered.

"Oh," (Y/n) exhaled. "No particular reason. I was just simply curious."

The gondola came to a stop and the two hopped off the boat. They walked around the city for a few more hours before Prompto had to leave in order to meet the others at the Leville.

"Heyaz," Prompto greeted as he saw Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis sitting in the lobby.

"Not gonna invite your girlfriend to dinner with us?" Gladio teased with a grin.

"She's not my girlfriend," Prompto declared with a small hint of venom in his words. "Besides, she said she had other plans tonight." He wasn't very good at lying, but he hoped it was good enough to fool his friends.

"Eat now, talk later," Noctis groaned.

Ignis couldn't help but agree with the whining prince. "Yes. Let's."

<———————<<<<<<

The next day, all hell broke loose during the rite. The empire arrived and the entire city was in chaos. With the wrath of Leviathan ravaging the city alongside the imperials, the citizens of Altissia were frightened and searching for a way out of the city. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis were on evacuation detail, helping the citizens to the docks.

Noctis had rushed off to the altar, worried about Luna. The trio kept to their duties of escorting people to the boats while the prince took off into the destroyed streets of Altissia.

While ushering people to the docks, Prompto searched the sea of terrified faces for one person. When he didn't spot (Y/n) amongst the crowd, he pushed through the wave of bodies but was stopped when a hand gripped his arm. Yanked backwards, he saw Gladio glaring fiercely at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"(Y/n) isn't here! I'm gonna go find her!" He yelled back, determined to find the girl.

"It's suicide to go back into the city!"

Prompto yanked his arm out of the shield's grasp and ran through the crowd.

"Prompto!" Ignis bellowed, but the blonde ignored his cries.

In the streets of Altissia, Prompto searched the rubble and the remaining buildings that withstood the attacks of the Tidemother and the empire. He shouted (Y/n)'s name over and over again in a desperate attempt to find her.

The sound of hooves clacking against stone grabbed the marksman's attention. He turned around and saw a horse heading directly for him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Prompto feared the horse would trample him at how fast it was approaching.

When the black and white steed came to a sudden halt in front of him, Prompto's eyes widened in shock. Slowly, he reached out to pet the animal as it lowered its head. "What're you doing here, buddy?"

The horse neighed, nodding its head up and down. It walked in circles, clicking its hooves against the cracked pavement below.

"Limos!" A feminine voice yelled.

Prompto looked over his shoulder, peering through the smoke and debris. The girl he had been looking for was storming towards him. Her (e/c) eyes widened when she saw the sharpshooter. "Prompto? What're you doing here? It's dangerous!"

"Looking for you! A-Are you okay?" He asked in concern, noting the smudges of soot on her arms and face. "You need to get to the boats!"

"I'm fine, Prom," (Y/n) reassured him. "I'll explain everything later. For now, I need you to head to the boats. Remember that orb I gave you?"

Prompto patted his pocket and felt the spherical object. He was relieved to know he hadn't lost it. "Yeah."

"Good," she sighed in solace. "Take the orb in your hand and say my name."

"W-What?" He gasped in bewilderment.

"Like I said, I'll explain everything later. Right now, you've got people to save. I've got my hands full with imperial forces. I'll see you soon, Prompto."

"Wait!" (Y/n) hopped onto Limos' back and rode off before listening to the boy's protest. He tried to chase after her, but he was no match for the steed's speed.

Helplessly, Prompto glanced around at the piles of debris surrounding him. Over the radio, he heard Gladio talking to Ignis. The advisor and shield had been separated and the tactician headed to the altar to aid Noctis. He listened to their conversation before storming off to return to the docks.

Arriving back at the docks, Prompto realized all the citizens were evacuated. Gladio stood at the end of the port, watching the boats head to safety.

A loud explosion startled the blonde as his eyes darted up to the sky. One by one, the imperial dreadnoughts exploded into pieces, lighting up the dark and stormy sky. He felt his heart racing as he watched the pieces of the ships hurtling into the water. "What's happening?"

"Doesn't matter," Gladio spat. "What does is those imperial bastards are falling like flies. Whoever's behind the explosions is definitely on our side and I ain't complaining."

The two stared up at the sky, watching the storm slowly dissipate. The rain ceased and they exchanged looks before dashing off in the direction of the altar.

They discovered Noctis' and Ignis' bodies, rushing to their sides. While tending to them, the horse (Y/n) called "Limos" strode up and nuzzled her muzzle against Prompto's cheek. He glanced around, wondering if the girl was with the steed. When he saw no sign of her, he gently petted her. "You wanna help?"

Limos nodded and with a neigh, stepped away from the blonde and gestured to her back. Gladio supported Ignis' body as he made his way over, amber eyes wide in surprise. "Where'd the horse come from?"

"A friend," Prompto responded, grabbing ahold of Noctis. "She's here to help."

"Good," the shield sighed. "'Cause we're gonna need it."

[captainkurosolaire]

Character Interview : Captain Kuro Solaire

Character Interview | Kuro Solaire

— what did you have for breakfast?

“A satiable meal feasted from unrelenting passion..”

— what can you cook perfectly?

“I can heat up a raw fish aside from that nothing, I rely on my proficient allure, Chef, or whatever deathly stew we have aboard if famine draws on us.”

— if you could choose a pet, what what would it be?

“T’ obtain my favor, I require one that holds the potential to be melded into perfect obedience. ”

— how is your relationship with your parents?

“Didn’t know either of them until recently, was orphaned Mother gave her life for the birth of me. Ol’man walked away from wanting to burden himself with raising me. We see how well that worked out though, turned out not bad in the slightest. Turned out he went to the shadowlands and became a contracted killer or some shite like that holding up some resistance for Doma all that time, though strangely had showed up during my adventures before but masked and mysterious as a Mentor of mine. Supposedly stalked me or something like that, if ask me he’s a creeper one but suppose can’t fault him for keeping an eye on what he deemed valuable to him as sappy as that is. I can coherently understand that notion. Mother’s spirit proved to be more closer then comfort. Though these were recent events that were thirty plus years in the making.”

— what is your favorite read?

“Sixty-Nine Shades of Black or anything erotically, is favorable. A lass of onyx-scales early in my travels provided me with a series of them, how do you think I got so fluent or learned how to write? ”

— do you put both socks on first, or one sock, one shoe?

“Often a waste of my time often aboard on a seafaring vessel tides can raise even over my boots plus another confining thing and layer that I’ll just be taking off during my extension training regimen that requires two.”

— do you fold your clothes before bed?

“What purpose would that be? I’m more likely to rip clothes to get what I want, Its become a less issue why I hired a seamstress with crew funds.”

— how do you feel about marriage?

“Depends what form of marriage is done and the manner of it. Been married nearly twice before one slain another I was their getaway experience in my youth. Only officially been married once to a Moon. Never an intention but I felt drawn like the tide too it and I felt it was right. Wouldn’t take it back, wouldn’t say it was pointless. Do I think its necessary to record a document of sworn commitments? Nah, I think that’s a float of garbage. The pirate way we seal the deal right there on the altar stand have a festive collective party maybe throw in a few orgies and have a solitary moment to hold fondly cause I assure it’ll not be forgotten for all the time to come.    ”

— who was the last person you crushed on?

"Not like I exchanged names with them, I find a fancy and simply reveal the corners of perceptible desires through a series jolted intimate actions, Its... natural instinct for me now. ”

— what does your dream home look like? and where would it be?

“Already possess them all from my ships, troves, dungeons. Though nothing quite beats a special little place called solitude. I’m an abductor of all my deepest dreams, I’m a demon barbed of fiendish intent that barrages nonstop to take what I deem is my right to objectify by any measures. ”

— what’s your worst habit?

“Committing a long-array of non-circumstantial sins of atrocities. I’‘m addicting to the thrill dare surrounding us. Lawful or perfection that often the Powers of Order try to enforce suppressing everything. Is everything I am opposite in shaded colors. I’m damn good at being the most vile, worst, bad, man you’ll ever need to encounter.”

— what do you do for living and how do you feel about your job?

“Can’t tell? I am nothing but a captivator of fortune. Nothing uniquely set in baffle-worthy about that. Just when it comes to seizing I take a more demanding approach then question myself behind falsified rules held by  self-righteous frighteners. I find what is claimed lost, I give to those who hold no enrichment, I provide banks of memory. I uphold opportunity to those who wish to see one simple sight, the seas I tread upon are everything I am the vast of the freedom is all but there, felt, its ripe for plucking all desires should you possess an ounce of bravery..   ” Tagged by : @fracturedfantasia - @samurai-from-another-land - @aliapohno - @yokasaris - @autumncabbit - @under-the-blood-moonlight - @kyrie-silverwings  (Thanks for the tag, much appreciated and love to all you wonders!) Tagging : Anyone/Everyone that may wish to take this.

[alternativehealthhouse]

You Can Manipulate Your Metabolism To Lose Weight. Here's How

Weight loss is more complicated today than it used to be. The simple equation of using more energy than you consume is now one layer of the larger picture, which now includes hormones, stress, and toxins.

Thankfully, metabolism is a process—not a thing—that responds to inputs. These tips from Haylie Pomroy’s book, The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food & Lose More Weight, will show you how to manipulate your metabolism to prime your body to finally shed excess weight.

1. Understand the relationship between toxins and weight gain.

We are asking more of our bodies than at any other time in the history of civilization. We ask them to live on food that is of a much lower quality than ever, thanks to all the chemical additives, preservatives, and processing. We pump ourselves full of sugar and artificial sweeteners, hormone-riddled dairy products, and foods like wheat and corn and soy that are so genetically modified, it’s a wonder we can even digest them. We live in a world with depleted soil, polluted air, and water teeming with environmental chemicals. We eat and drink from plastic containers that leach even more chemicals into our foods and drinks. And we live with great amounts of often crushing, overwhelming stress.

2. Stop dieting. You’ll gain more weight every time.

The foods you eat and the lifestyle you choose should create energy and strength for you, not fatigue, obesity, sickness, desperation, or self-loathing. Yet once you’ve slowed down your metabolism, study after study has demonstrated that the metabolic rate does not easily return to normal, even after resuming a normal diet.

When you starve yourself, your body adjusts to subsist on a smaller number of calories by slowing down your metabolism. That means that whenever you go off your diet, you’re likely to gain weight with a vengeance. Your body is just trying to save you from future famine.

3. Train your body to stop making toxins.

When you are under tremendous stress, your body excretes crisis hormones signaling it to store fat and burn muscle. When you are overloaded with chemicals, pesticides, and pollutants, the body creates new fat cells to house these toxins, so you don’t become poisoned and sick. And when you consume food that is devoid of nutrients or contains artificial dyes, flavorings, and sweeteners, the body does its best to survive these foreign substances by slowing down the metabolism and minimizing the damage to the body’s system as a whole. The very world we live in puts us all at risk for a slow metabolism

4. Make friends with food by using it as a tool.

We’re about to change all that. It’s time to move beyond blame and regret and self-loathing and into the future. This is the paradigm shift your body needs, and it will create a new, healthier version of you. The new you views food as a tool to repair damage and restore health. The new you loves fruits and grains and protein and healthy fats. The new you knows how the body reacts to specific foods and strategic eating, and the new you has all of the resources to get the weight off and keep it off for good.

If food has been your enemy in the past, that’s all over. Now, we’re stepping into your future, where food is your medicine. Even if you’re 10 to 20 pounds overweight, you need this medicine. You need to learn how to unwind stress, unlock fat, and unleash your metabolism.

5. Treat your metabolism like an ongoing process, not an object.

Specifically, the metabolic process consists of chemical reactions that occur in the cells of all living organisms to sustain life. It’s the change or transformation of food into either heat and fuel or substance (muscle, fat, blood, bone). At any given moment, your metabolism is either burning, storing, or building.

You have a metabolism because you are alive, and life requires energy. We all need energy to survive—to breathe, move, think, and react—and the only way to acquire this energy is from the consumption and metabolism, or transformation, of food. Profound! We need fuel, and we need substance. A healthy metabolism and a functional metabolism allow us to have just the perfect amount of energy available, an appropriate amount of reserve energy stored and ready for use, and a strong and stable structure (the body).

6. Manipulate your metabolism with the right combinations of good food and movement.

Remember, your metabolism is your body’s system for dealing with the energy you take in through food. The metabolism shuttles that energy into different directions according to what you eat and what you do. The beauty of your metabolism is that it can be manipulated, because how you eat and move and live affects how much of your food is stored as fat, how much is used as energy, and how much is devoted to building the structure that is your body.

This manipulation is what I learned about when I studied animal science. The animal science industry uses this knowledge of energy, storage, and structure to create livestock that is ideally proportioned for use as food, to the tune of billions of dollars of profit.

7. Live by this rule: Your body is a product of the environment you make for it.

The metabolism can also get you into trouble because you can inadvertently manipulate it to create a body you don’t want. Dieting, nutrient-void foods, and living with too much stress slow down your metabolism when it should be sped up. When you gain weight, feel blah, even get sick with a chronic disease, those are all coping mechanisms your body creates in response to your actions or environment, like the frogs that grow three legs in polluted swamps. Your butt or your belly could be protruding because of the very environmental, emotional, and biochemical ecosystem in which it is dwelling.

Source: mindbodygreen.com

You Can Manipulate Your Metabolism To Lose Weight. Here’s How was originally published on Health Tips 365

[dfroza]

Today’s reading in the ancient book of Proverbs and Psalms

for monday, july 6 of 2020 with Proverbs 6 and Psalm 6 accompanied by Psalm 17 for the 17th day of Summer and Psalm 38 for day 188 of the year

[Proverbs 6]

My son, if you cosign a loan for an acquaintance

and guarantee his debt,

you’ll be sorry that you ever did it!

You’ll be trapped by your promise

and legally bound by the agreement.

So listen carefully to my advice:

Quickly get out of it if you possibly can!

Swallow your pride, get over your embarrassment,

and go tell your “friend” you want your name off that contract.

Don’t put it off, and don’t rest until you get it done.

Rescue yourself from future pain

and be free from it once and for all.

You’ll be so relieved that you did!

[Life Lessons]

When you’re feeling lazy,

come and learn a lesson from this tale of the tiny ant.

Yes, all you lazybones, come learn

from the example of the ant and enter into wisdom.

The ants have no chief, no boss, no manager—

no one has to tell them what to do.

You’ll see them working and toiling all summer long,

stockpiling their food in preparation for winter.

So wake up, sleepyhead. How long will you lie there?

When will you wake up and get out of bed?

If you keep nodding off and thinking, “I’ll do it later,”

or say to yourself, “I’ll just sit back awhile and take it easy,”

just watch how the future unfolds!

By making excuses you’ll learn what it means to go without.

Poverty will pounce on you like a bandit

and move in as your roommate for life.

Here’s another life lesson to learn

from observing the wayward and wicked man.

You can tell they are lawless.

They’re constant liars, proud deceivers,

full of clever ploys and convincing plots.

Their twisted thoughts are perverse,

always with a scheme to stir up trouble,

and sowing strife with every step they take.

But when calamity comes knocking on their door,

suddenly and without warning they’re undone—

broken to bits, shattered, with no hope of healing.

[Seven Things God Hates]

There are six evils God truly hates

and a seventh that is an abomination to him:

Putting others down while considering yourself superior,

spreading lies and rumors,

spilling the blood of the innocent,

plotting evil in your heart toward another,

gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong,

spouting lies in false testimony,

and stirring up strife between friends.

These are entirely despicable to God!

My son, obey your father’s godly instruction

and follow your mother’s life-giving teaching.

Fill your heart with their advice

and let your life be shaped by what they’ve taught you.

Their wisdom will guide you wherever you go

and keep you from bringing harm to yourself.

Their instruction will whisper to you at every sunrise

and direct you through a brand-new day.

For truth is a bright beam of light

shining into every area of your life,

instructing and correcting you to discover the ways to godly living.

[Truth or Consequences]

Truth will protect you from immorality

and from the promiscuity of another man’s wife.

Your heart won’t be enticed by her flatteries

or lust over her beauty—

nor will her suggestive ways conquer you.

Prostitutes reduce a man to poverty,

and the adulteress steals your soul—

she may even cost you your life!

For how can a man light his pants on fire and not be burned?

Can he walk over hot coals of fire and not blister his feet?

What makes you think that you can sleep with another man’s wife

and not get caught?

Do you really think you’ll get away with it?

Don’t you know it will ruin your life?

You can almost excuse a thief if he steals to feed his own family.

But if he’s caught, he still has to pay back what he stole sevenfold;

his punishment and fine will cost him greatly.

Don’t be so stupid as to think

you can get away with your adultery.

It will destroy your life, and you’ll pay the price

for the rest of your days.

You’ll discover what humiliation, shame,

and disgrace are all about,

for no one will ever let you forget what you’ve done.

A husband’s jealousy makes a man furious;

he won’t spare you when he comes to take revenge.

Try all you want to talk your way out of it—

offer him a bribe and see if you can manipulate him

with your money.

Nothing will turn him aside

when he comes to you with vengeance in his eyes!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 6 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 6]

A Cry for Healing

For the Pure and Shining One

A song for the end, sung for the new day by King David

No, Lord! Don’t condemn me.

Don’t punish me in your fiery anger.

Please deal gently with me, Yahweh;

show me mercy, for I’m sick and frail.

I’m fading away with weakness.

Heal me, for I’m falling apart.

How long until you take away this pain in my body and in my soul?

Lord, I’m trembling in fear!

Yahweh, return to me and deliver my life

because I know your faithful love is toward me.

How can I be any good to you dead?

For graveyards sing no songs.

In the darkness of death who remembers you?

How could I bring you praise if I’m buried in a tomb?

I’m exhausted and worn out with my weeping.

I endure weary, sleepless nights filled with moaning,

soaking my pillow with my tears.

My eyes of faith won’t focus anymore, for sorrow fills my heart.

There are so many enemies who come against me!

Go away! Leave me, all you troublemakers!

For the Lord has turned to listen to my thunderous cry.

Yes! Yahweh my healer has heard all my pleading

and has taken hold of my prayers and answered them all.

Now it’s my enemies who have been shamed.

Terror-stricken, they will turn back again,

knowing the bitterness of sudden disgrace!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 6 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 17]

A David Prayer

Listen while I build my case, God,

the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.

Show the world I’m innocent—

in your heart you know I am.

Go ahead, examine me from inside out,

surprise me in the middle of the night—

You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.

My words don’t run loose.

I’m not trying to get my way

in the world’s way.

I’m trying to get your way,

your Word’s way.

I’m staying on your trail;

I’m putting one foot

In front of the other.

I’m not giving up.

I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.

So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!

Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;

take in your frightened children who

Are running from the neighborhood bullies

straight to you.

Keep your eye on me;

hide me under your cool wing feathers

From the wicked who are out to get me,

from mortal enemies closing in.

Their hearts are hard as nails,

their mouths blast hot air.

They are after me, nipping my heels,

determined to bring me down,

Lions ready to rip me apart,

young lions poised to pounce.

Up, God: beard them! break them!

By your sword, free me from their clutches;

Barehanded, God, break these mortals,

these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.

I’d like to see their bellies

swollen with famine food,

The weeds they’ve sown

harvested and baked into famine bread,

With second helpings for their children

and crusts for their babies to chew on.

And me? I plan on looking

you full in the face. When I get up,

I’ll see your full stature

and live heaven on earth.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 17 (The Message)

[Psalm 38]

A song of David for remembering.

O Eternal One, please do not scold me in Your anger;

though Your wrath is just, do not correct me in Your fury.

The arrows from Your bow have penetrated my flesh;

Your hand has come down hard on me.

Because Your anger has infected the depths of my being and stolen my health,

my flesh is ill.

My bones are no longer sound

because of all the sins I have committed.

My guilt has covered me; it’s more than I can handle;

this burden is too heavy for me to carry.

Now sores cover me—infected and putrid sores,

because of all the foolish things I have done.

I am bent down, cowering in fear, prostrate on the ground;

I spend the day in mourning, guilty tears stinging and burning my eyes.

My back aches. I’m full of fever;

my body is no longer whole, no longer well.

I am completely numb, totally spent, hopelessly crushed.

The agitation of my heart makes me groan.

O Lord, You know all my desires;

nothing escapes You; You hear my every moan.

My heart pounds against my chest; my vigor is completely drained;

my eyes were once bright, but now the brightness is all gone.

Even my friends and loved ones turn away when they see this marked man;

those closest to me are no longer close at all.

Those who want me dead lay traps upon my path;

those who desire my downfall threaten—my end is near—

they spend their days plotting against me.

Like one who is deaf, my ears do not hear.

Like one who is mute, my tongue cannot speak.

The truth is this: I am like one who cannot hear;

I cannot even protest against them.

Still I wait expectantly for You, O Eternal One—

knowing You will answer me in some way, O Lord, my True God.

I only asked, “When I stumble on the narrow path,

don’t let them boast or celebrate my failure.”

I am prepared for what may come; my time must be short;

my pain and suffering a constant companion.

I confess, “I have sinned,”

and I regret the wrong I have done.

My enemies are alive and well,

they are powerful and on the increase,

and for no reason, they hate me.

When I do good, my opponents reward me with evil;

though I pursue what is right, they stand against me.

Eternal One, do not leave me to their mercy;

my True God, don’t be far from me when they are near.

I need Your help now—not later.

O Lord, be my Rescuer.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 38 (The Voice)