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June 2021

Carbon Copies

(x = space)

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Carbon Copies

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Sometimes I don’t know

Why I believe in God

Because God is unaffected

By my question

Or the doubt

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God’s existence being

Unpredicated by my

Belief in God

x

It’s not the best start

To philosophy, though Voltaire

Speaks of our need

To invent God, where the

Need seems to have been

God inventing us

x

The universe

Cosmos, anyway

Might be a random

Set (set randomly)

Of chemical reactions

Given the first state

Of ephemera

Something or place we

Might have called

Etherea

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Without a place

Or calling it,

God could be

God of random

x

We set the first

Dichotomy as chaos

And order,

When it might have been

Void and substance

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Our having what we have

Through design

Or the lack thereof

That could explain the

Platypus or

Emu

x

Genesis

Out of genesis,

More than ex nihilo

While God cogitated,

Then declaring to the host

That more

Company was needed

Like the first,

The universe before

The universe

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C L Couch

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Photo by Michael M on Unsplash

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Unelegant Petition

(x = space)

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Unelegant Petition

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God,

Will you give me a good day

This day?

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This is whining,

And it isn’t:

There’s real pain, confusion,

And frustration

x

And I’m not certain

Of my way

x

Maybe bad days can show

The way as well;

But I’m asking for a

Good day simply,

Well,

Because it hurts

x

But if a prophet’s

Tortured way

Is necessary,

Then so be it

(amen)

Though I’d like the way

To be smoothed soon

x

And so you know,

I’m glad to work

In the be-thankful-for-small-

Favors

Department

Anytime

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C L Couch

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Old Train Tracks

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

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Onces and Futures

(x = space)

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Onces and Futures

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I used to have a script

It wasn’t very good

Stitched-together parts

Of B-movies and what

I overheard

I could have used

A mentor, you know, a

Merlin—but then

There’s expectation

What do I bring

But nothing, what will I

Find but everything

That is the rule of Camelot

And the crystal cave

I would have

Done my homework, I believe

Looked forward to

Some lessons while

Slogging through the rest

I would have

Listened, such as a young one

Can

But that was an age

And several castles ago,

Each castle dwindling

Until only one

Remains and then only

The tower made of gray, weathered

Stone but standing firm

Through what we call

Good bones

And there might be

A teacher inside, still

Good morning,

Myrrdin

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C L Couch

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Photo by Ian Simmonds on Unsplash

Flatiron Building, New York, United States

This was a lucky find, I was running between destinations on a work trip and spotted the puddle. Everyone else stood on the corner looking up to take shots of the building. I waited for the ripples to settle after people had crossed the road, then got snapping.

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The Once and Future King by T. H. White

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Poem 181

(x = space)

X

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Poem 181

(thanks for the Poetry 180 Project)

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Where are you?

I’ll miss you for the summer

Billy Collins, thank you

And the Library of Congress

They are contact days, I know

Or contract

The days in a school year

By the number

And the project of a poem a day

To keep us sane,

To give us something to talk about

In class,

Who knows, maybe for extra credit

To write companion pieces

Illustrate them, turn them in

Tack them to a board

Somewhere (but in a place

of honor)

And for me, the poems give this

Once-and-future teacher

Something good

Once a day, especially

When nothing else seems good

Something to carry me

A thought, a momentary inspiration

New words, new ideas

Or simply confirmation that

I should keep reading (writing)

On my own, too

x

thank you

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C L Couch

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Poetry 180 is designed to make it easy for students to hear or read a poem on each of the 180 days of the school year. I have selected the poems you will find here with high school students in mind. They are intended to be listened to, and I suggest that all members of the school community be included as readers. A great time for the readings would be following the end of daily announcements over the public address system.

Billy Collins
Former Poet Laureate of the United States

Poetry 180  |  Poet Laureate Projects  |  Poet Laureate  |  Poetry & Literature  |  Programs  |  Library of Congress (loc.gov)

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Nazaré Wall Art

Manolo Chrétien

Nazaré, Portugal

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Toward the Ending of a Great War

(x = space)

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Toward the Ending of a Great War

(for 6 June 1944)

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Today, many soldiers died

On all sides

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Many civilians as well

In their towns

And on their fields,

Whole families

And many animals

x

For children

And for parents

We can’t imagine worse

Except for plague and

Drought, which are

Other kinds

Of war

x

The despot didn’t die

And would lead its people

Through

Ongoing and great suffering

x

Awful suffering,

Horrible—blooded,

Vivisected,

Tactical annihilation

By its hand

x

Today, many soldiers died

And civilians;

Many soldiers and civilians live

Then and now

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C L Couch

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Photo by Shalev Cohen on Unsplash

Pointe du Hoc, צרפת

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Apologies

(x = space)

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Apologies

(and Philippians 4:8)

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Oh, dear, it’s Sunday

And there’s nothing in my

Sometimes Protestant, suburban mind

To share

I didn’t pay attention to the sermon

(too many points)

Or the meaning of the lyrics

(one broad and unconvincing point),

Though I’ll say the problem

Is inside my head,

What’s left of my heart

And there are those who had their

Sabbath, starting Friday,

And those who have a time for

Sabbath every day

I could envy

x

And is there something I can say?

Think on these things

With the Philippians,

Which might be a good list

For anyone

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C L Couch

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Photo by Dariusz Mejer on Unsplash

Babylon, United States

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0

toward summer sun gods

(x = space)

x

x

toward summer sun gods

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early morning, and

I think

the sun and I

shall track each

other through

the day

x

I slept in fits

and starts but

have blood tests

this morning

(ongoing diagnosis)

and should not

miss them

simply because

I’m tired

x

I’m sure you understand

x

hello, day,

let’s give it a go: a

fourteen-hour

treasure hunt

calling us

toward riding,

running, or pedestrian

pursuits

for pleasure and

for profit

x

then we shall

set

together into night

x

c l couch

x

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photo by Olya /Voloshka on Unsplash

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1

Favor Hesiod

(x = space)

x

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Favor Hesiod

(writer of Theogony)

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Remember

Myths aren’t lies

That’s for conversation

x

Fables are

For teaching, which means

They are

For learning

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The more fantastic

Stretches

With gods and

Agencies for gods

And such

Are a try

At understanding

Truth to questions

Without

Conversation’s answers

x

What is time?

Why are their seasons?

Why is this

A good year?

What about

The next one?

What happens after

Death?  What is our

Purpose while we’re here?

How might we live

With passion?

Why do we have it

In the first place?

x

Not lies

But tries at truth

Without the words

Or understanding

Motivations of

Forces outside

Ourselves and

Ourselves

x

What happens when

Someone climbs

Parnassus or Olympus

Has a reason, too,

And a story

x

For all we’re told

And tell ourselves

Old stories are foolish

If not stupid,

We still ask questions,

Same questions

x

Some answers

Will be chemical

Now,

But elements

Persist above

The table in a

Ring of sky

(or under

Earth)

That we cannot find

For all our wishing

All our striving

All our talking

For a purpose

x

So we return to stories

And make new ones

x

C L Couch

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Theogony, myths about gods, creation, and more

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A Rendition of Life on Planet Earth

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6638499

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Finding Fantastic Creatures

(x = space)

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Finding Fantastic Creatures

x

They could have flown

Above the ark

Where the birds took

Exercise,

Now and then

x

Dropping down onto

The deck,

Uninvited

Though the ark-pilot

Is kind,

If somewhat crazed

x

Or maybe the dragons

Found

The ship of Gilgamesh,

Which also carried

Unicorns

We might as well believe

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C L Couch

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Photo by Thomas Oxford on Unsplash

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