(x = space)

x

x

(sorry, this is long—and rather existential)

x

x

World without End except It Ends

(a kind of rhapsody)

x

And how are things

In Ukraine

And how are the Rohingya

The indigenous in

Amazonia

(where it

turns out

no tall women

cast like

Gal Gadot)

And in NZ

And the USA

x

And how are they recovering

From earthquakes in India

And Pakistan

(and give thanks for rescues

from the mines)

Plus the quakes before

In Syria

x

Dealing with the aftereffects

On Maui

And now a new spill

Of a million gallons

In our

Gulf

x

We go to war

Nature beats us down

And yet I’m quiet in a minute

(coughing slightly)

With the morning sun

And branches

Scraping a Hallowe’en hello

Against the window

x

And the kitchen sink

Is stopped

And there are fruit flies

From the bananas

That I dared to buy the other day

And sinuses

And heart disease

That go on

x

And there is not a feeling

Of assessment

Or of judgment

Things are the way they are

It is what it is

We are dust in the wind

Qué será

Será

(every generation

needs this lyric)

x

I am safe for now

That’s why

I don’t feel bitter in the world

Except sometimes

When the thought is thought

Or something happens

Even though there’s faith

x

And there is faith

Nothing extraordinary

One might think it

Feel it

Commonly

And every day

Through prayer enforced

In every hour

x

Faith in God

More than each other

Though in each other

Too

And even in the world

God help us

(and God will)

While we have the world

Not each for each one

But

(Dumas

D’Artagnan)

One for all

x

But faith

But hope and love

That’s how it goes

With the greatest

We are told

Is love

And have I love

Have you

And does it keep us

From the Trough

Of Despair

x

And to correct

That’s ancient Greek

And economics

While the giant is

Despair

And there is challenging

For Pilgrim

The Slough of Despond

(funny how some college readings

don’t stay with you)

x

Right or wrong

We have the world

And ourselves

We breath

Sometimes in contemplation

Seeking mysticism

Or simply get us through

The day before us

As we dread it

Or we fear it

x

There is a war zone

Though I don’t face

Maybe with you

Blood and disaster

Lack of reason

All of explosions’

Randomness

But there is a war zone

One big one everywhere

It’s spiritual

(big deal

you might say

in which

there are

no broken bones

no wishes

for a ceasefire

in so many other places)

Though it is real

x

It wants to pull us down

To smother

Or to drown us

So that we cannot

Look out clear

Or up above

For quotidian metaphor

Since underneath miasma

Or on the other side

Of despair

There is source of faith

As well

Reason to hope

Impetus to love

x

Shantih

I’m nobody

Too

Let’s not advertise

Keep it simple

Keep it quiet

Layer the world’s noise

Above

On all sides

Below

x

For on the breastplate

It is etched

That the source is everywhere

(like Savoir Faire

je ne sais quoi

and so stay

chez lui)

x

Hurry up

Please

We have no time

The Rider’s on the loose

The Dark is rising

Look for holiday scenes

Also in

Roll of Thunder

Hear My Cry

And even

Murder mysteries

(looking at you

Louise Penny)

x

And how have the spirits

Told us over ages

Still listening

By the adept

God blessing the dispossessed

Living within

Unjust environs

x

We devalue

The supernal

Yet look for it

In seminars

And everything

That tells us about God

Without God

Which is okay

I guess

Money that’s wasted

Must be wasted on something

x

Set God aside

(God is used to this)

How are we knit

Regardless

Well

Through capillaries

Synovia

All the ways our bodies

Work

More or less

x

In floors

Between skyscrapers

(yes

I know

‘til they fall)

In rivers moving through

The plains

To make grand canyons

x

Through overlays of roads

We lay of web

There are great potholders

With a better need

For infrastructure

But look at the lights

From space

The synaptic pattern

Of our world

x

For now

We got one

We have each other

x

And how are things

In Glocca Morra

I feel

I have to say that

And the tune go through my head

All day

And what is yours

x

We sing

If only through our brain cells

Maybe through memories

Or if we must

Out loud

x

As many say

(and sing)

The extraordinary

In the ordinary

We must have this

It parallels

The things made not

By us

But for us

After all

x

What crowns creation

Us or sabbath

And besides the heads

With angels dancing

For a count

Who really cares

Since God wears the crown

And that is that

x

A crown of Earth

Some think

Though it isn’t

There

x

Worlds of all kinds

Aren’t crowns

Or bear them

We visit

Truly visit

And we know

x

So let ambition

Have a better end

Reach in all directions

For what’s

Next

What is today’s

What’s in the hour

All the hours we

Are given

And have left

x

Let’s not be

Moribund

In attitude

Not while there is

So much

For us

And that we make

To make

To last

To prosper

Even in

Disposable economies

x

There is grace

With

Gracia

In the world

And intrusions of miracles

All the time

And we medically

Constructively

Artisanally

Make our own

x

What shall we make

Though

As we know

We don’t take it with us

Even cells

But leave things behind

That in eternity

Is dross

But become

Legacies

For those still

Living here

x

All the names

All the actions

All we own

Or think we own

They matter

Though all matter

Be reformed

(as in re-informed

and in

the usual kind

like Protestants

now let’s all cheer like Protestants

which is in the movie)

x

Nothing lasts

And everything lasts

It’s our memory

And God’s computer

Accounting angels

Excused from the heads of pins

To do the real

Work

In magnificent

And terrifying shape

Which is why

They’re always saying

Do not be afraid

x

Don’t be afraid

Though

There are fearful things

We can resort

To faith

Hope

Or love

Or simply

Painfully

Endure

x

Enduring’s good

(so’s faith)

For keeping us

Around

‘Til something better

Happens

And maybe resolution

For what has hurt

Has wounded us

For so long

Or a day

x

Hang on

Hurry

Or don’t hurry

We have the hour

Candlelight

Inside the mind

And with our bodies

Move ourselves

Whole or partial

Through the day

x

Dear ones

God is here

And we are here

Our touch is easier

For flesh

x

So let flesh

With spirit bless

The first

A mortal blessing

Less to bestow

But we can do it

The second

From an origin

That is not us

But like us

We are like

x

And let there be amen

If this is prayer

Or in another attitude

Say grace

That isn’t grace

But the best

We might do

x

C L Couch

x

x

(bye, bye, M—, well, you know who)

x

Photo by Justin Wilkens on Unsplash

The Yazoo River out of its banks near highway 61 North. Flood waters up to the levee road.

x