Should the Shepherds Sing
I want to tell you, God,
That I love you and
Need you
But crazy isn’t good,
And I don’t want that
Crazy is good for David
Or Deborah or other prophets
Who come to you and
Are not burned by
The holy of holies
That is too much:
Too powerful,
Specific, and eccentric
Might we meet instead by
The shepherd’s brook,
I could save my fear
Inside the burbling
For anything you might
Say to me
And might I only listen
Thanks still to be living
Should all go well,
We might rest a while
Should the shepherds sing for us
New litanies
At night inside the hills
I might be asking for
A small trail under trees
Back into heaven
Cold and clear
As we had drunk
And washed
In this encounter
With only country rudeness
(thank goodness)
For an ornament
A style
Show the way
Way too easy
And romantic
I might have to endure
Some craziness
Call the party
Homecoming
Like the ark from Shiloh
Danced into the bright city
Yet I might listen from an
Outskirt,
Feel the air from
Underneath an arch that shows
The desert
No longer inimical
But part of home
C L Couch
Photo by Makenna Entrikin on Unsplash
The dreamy walkway leading up to our campsite in the Sahara Desert.
clcouch123 
January 23, 2020 at 4:50 pm
I do like the quiet thoughtful atmosphere you create in that last stanza, it lingers as things do in still air.
If there is a god, and there might be, it would be in the songs that people like desert nomads sing, or birds, in the light and trees. Just a creative presence. Religion is for the crazies, the ranks of militants, the wavers of banners wearing their hearts on their sleeves, the people who like to have rules and like even more to enforce them. If there is a god, I’m pretty sure they know nothing about it, barking up the wrong tree altogether.
January 24, 2020 at 2:59 am
Yes, I think this is where we’ll find God’s presence, too. I don’t know what we find in church, though I imagine some still find something good. It was simply where I was taken while growing up, though later on I worked in some churches. So much was made about the building, more than people. So much was made of gossip and the power of offense, whereas I think Jesus abhorred the first and didn’t care about the other. No doubt I’m a lousy evangelist, but I like the differences in believers and enjoy learning about and experiencing other traditions such as Islam, Judaism, and agnosticism. I guess I think curiosity, yes, but more so respect should be our evangelism now. The evangelism of the Earth. Wow, haven’t I gone on.
Thanks for your response, I wanted to enjoy birds, trees, and the romance of the desert. Your words are reaffirming.
January 24, 2020 at 9:11 am
I only know Catholic churches, and more precisely Irish Catholic churches in England. In a hostile environment they served the purpose of solidarity, not that the church itself was safe, but being surrounded by familiar faces was comforting. I recognise that and I’m grateful that it was there. Also grateful that the Irish community didn’t stay cloistered with religious and cultural differences but used their solidarity to get a foothold in English society. One of the big problems I can see with communatairianism and the praise of differences, even when they run completely counter to the official ethos of a country, is that social cohesion breaks down. Religion is a hugely divisive force and when people learn to live without it and embrace their god without the trappings of man-invented ritual they’ll get along together much better.
You don’t rant. You’re thoughtful. You believe in birds and trees and what could be.
January 24, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Thanks so much for your words. In the USA, we don’t understand the stakes of religious conflict and the need for spiritual unity. Thus the trappings tend to keep us trapped.
January 28, 2020 at 8:14 am
Very nice write-up. I certainly appreciate this site.
Stick with it!
January 29, 2020 at 3:49 pm
Thank you!
January 29, 2020 at 7:17 am
the first person telling felt like this prayer is mine, too. i love the sincerity and honesty. of drawing the line that we are humbly not as holy. beautiful, brother.
January 29, 2020 at 3:52 pm
Thank you, sister, for affirming that the first-person perspective works. I do worry about that. And for seeing or sensing sincerity and honesty. I can’t say I succeed with these, but they are crucial values when I write.
January 31, 2020 at 6:21 am
it always works, brother. it felt personal. a lot of times. 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 5:39 pm
thank goodness–and thank you, sister!