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November 2023

The Real Thing

(x = space)

x

x

The Real Thing

x

I am not in the war

Except

With my mind and heart

My contributions

Here and there

Not for a winner

But for everything

To cease

While there are citizens

And innocence

To count

x

I can’t imagine an explosion

(over me

and I am done)

Next to me

So that I live

But everything is changed

x

For what

And whom I’ve lost

All basic things

And anything

Refined

x

A world that’s there

Even to know

The risks in temporality

And to persist

Then what I know

Is gone

And I am hurt

My body

And my mind

x

I might get fixed

But something will not mend

Something broken

That the screws

And prayers

Cannot reward

With success

x

Some part of me

Who wonders now

A beggar on the plane

Of dreams

And real hours

When I dance

With hate

And seeming

Justification

x

For it all

To have happened

And it’s happened

So that

There’s an end

Before the end

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Jeff Kingma on Unsplash

x

3

The Rites and Rights for Veterans

(x = space)

x

x

The Rites and Rights for Veterans

x

I hope no one else

Was lost

While signatories waited for

11 11 11 11

The armistice

In a great war

All the ones

Must have been important

Were they really

And now the time

The day

Is broadened from one war

Into all wars

All military times

For service past

For anyone who fought

Whose fighting

Whose service into readiness

Now over

Now a veteran

Whose remains are

In the earth

Or whose living person

Very much deserves

To be served

In thanks

Or common sense

(someone’s hurt

we try to fix)

And is there not enough

And if not

Why not

Why not facilities

And programs

For the sacrifice

Same kind of treatment

We want

For anyone

Home

Back home

The kind of help

Plus the acknowledgement

For those of us

Moving only here

Might want

Might need

While they return

A victory

Returning

And might need assistance

Maybe much

Maybe grim

Or simply have stories

And it healthily

Supernally

Behooves us to

Listen

Listen

Listen

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash

x

2

Longing for the God who Stays

(x = space)

x

x

Longing for the God who Stays

x

Now to say

Something about God

Whom I do not know

A phantom lover

Cupid to Psyche

Embodied in the night

Gone by morning

x

And there the myth must end

For there’s a presence

Always

In the day

In all the hours

Probably in nanoseconds

In the smallest things

Perhaps

Angels dancing with electrons

‘Round the nuclei ephemera

Of thought

And awareness

x

Then the lovers meet

Again in dreams

Where we might talk

Words becoming solid

Resting in the liquid

Like a loving cup provided

Of the night

Out or which

We drink

Words and meaning

Clearly

In the night

x

Which might work

For a spiritual life

Except that in the daytime

There are daytime expectations

x

Who really stays

Who really goes

I make up things

For fear

Of isolation

And a longing for solidity

For the God who’s always there

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

x

0

Enjoy

(x = space)

x

x

Enjoy

(take your time)

x

Ah

Skip it

The (really) longer stuff

It’s Thursday

Almost Friday

Almost sabbath

And the weekend

What will you do

For fun

If you have those next

Two days

(and Friday evening)

Something with family

With friends

Chores

Of course

Or to pretend

Prevaricate

With games

At the gym

On TV

In the yard

Or play in other ways

Or clean

Or study

Or do nothing

Well

Something

Always something

Even mitigated rest

Inside a world

Loving to demand

Maybe

Though

We release

Somehow

And maybe by degrees

The expectations

Of the week

Live differently

A while

Breathe deeper

Now and then

Read something

Learn something

Or read

Inside the mind

The text of stories

Flashing memories

Solidify a little more

So you remember

And can share

Even work out something

For the good

Well

Sleep

And chore

And play

And dine

And gather in

Maybe with others

Maybe with your thoughts

Certainly

If you like and can

You may go

Simply for distraction

For a while

Some

Heavy things

Can wait

x

CLC

x

x

Photo by Rafael Hoyos Weht on Unsplash

take me with you

x

0

The Dark Crystal

(x = space)

x

x

The Dark Crystal

x

I simply thought of glass

A piece of glass

Dark purple or some such

Through which to see

Thus darkly

That

Like the shadows in the cave

Is all we get

For now

x

But Saint Paul

Might have meant

A mirror

For a glass

As it were

A looking glass

That has those dots of age

All around

And in the middle

x

We try to see ourselves

We can’t

Maybe when we’ve grown so far

No

Not even then

x

The glass is cleared

At last

By faith and love

And maybe transformation

So that maybe

We are ready

With new eyes

More than our senses

Or clarified

So that

All things look new

In truth

Discovery

And life

x

C L Couch

x

1 Corinthians 13:12

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

King James Version

x

x

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

x

0

King Ralph

(x = space)

x

x

King Ralph

x

Bittersweet remembrance

As we have

Of all

Remembrance

This of my dog

Our dog

The family dog

From years ago

I used to take him

To the creek

Way out back

Behind the neighborhood

I’d let him run

Through rocks and water

(all was shallow)

He was free

And yet he stayed

With me

There was an incident

With some cows

Imagine the same patched colors

On the bovines

And himself

But came back

Under the fence

And through the water

And the rocks

Once again

But tempers reigned

Among the humans

And I left

I did not see Ralph again

Getting old and sick

As we do

Weighed down by disappointments

Maybe

As we have

Yet I remember liveliness

The chain leash upon the hook

(irony

for freedom)

That I pulled

Only a little

And from wherever

Ralph came running

Knowing it was time

To go out

And run some more

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash

x

1

I Met a Cat the Other Day

(x = space)

x

x

I Met a Cat the Other Day

(thank you, Almond Joy)

x

A beauty

Asian of some kind

Rescued by my neighbor

So smart of her

To do

x

Named for a candy bar

(the cat)

And rather peaceful

In her arms

(the neighbor’s)

And I realized this morning

That

Everything’s a little better

Cats as ambassadors

And anodynes

x

Maybe we should keep them near

(my allergies

and yours

notwithstanding)

Near the table

Cushiony or something

Eyeing patience

In proceedings

And then our celebration

Meals

x

Never mind

Inscrutability

It’s a quiet asset

And a signal

Should it snarl

Not to upset

Our table

Or proceedings

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Brian Suh on Unsplash

x

2

Good Time, I Hope

(x = space)

x

x

Good Time, I Hope

x

God

May I talk

With you

x

My health might be improving

Just a little

By just a little

And I thank you

In part because

I want to make a lot

Out of a little

x

I want to ask your pardon

For my sins

Though really

I want to assume

Upon a doctrine

Not to have to talk them out

Remember things

With you

x

Or again assume

You know them

Anyway

And will excuse me

On my asking

Even broadly

x

Clearly

By tone

I think I’m wrong in that

x

But for your pardon

Even with my fractured approach

I thank you

And I love you

Have I mentioned that

x

I feel confused

About what’s next

x

I mean

I know there’s heaven

Though I don’t know

Heaven

But honestly I mean now

The now that I know

As best I know

And what to do

I don’t mean tired questions

Lived for decades

Without answers

I could grasp

x

I mean today

And for a little direction

Into tomorrow

x

Could you help me out

If I’m feeling better

With a little better-ness

What shall I do

x

Keep healing

I suppose

Try to bear

And wear

Virtue a little closer

Then to

Try to be positive

And send positive

All the while

x

That is

Maybe for a change

Keep doing this

x

Now

It seems

I hope

I hope I found a little something

This time

That had been piecemeal

Over time

And now should be

Seamed together

For a broader cloth

You might accept

For a flag

Or coverlet

Or on the table

Where we gather

To remember

And negotiate

Earth

Or

Eternity

x

You’ve been listening

Over years

You have been listening

I’m thankful

x

Even in pain

Your presence

For my life

Since when there’s void

There is too much

To bear

x

Well

Thank you

Lord

I’ll keep working

As it is

And feeling

Of your presence

More than doctrine

In my life

x

C L Couch

x

x

This is personal

And cosmic

It’s for you

All verse is for you

Food

For ingesting

Water

For the thirst

You maybe did not know

You had to have

Me

Too

All to have

In being

x

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

x

1

but choose any day

(x = space)

x

x

but choose any day

x

and it’s Friday

how are you

really well

I hope

(well and more

that is)

here the sun’s out

and it’s cool

the best of both

heat and cold

for a while

and when it changes

as it must

the sun and sky

wind and air

decide

choose any day

there are its merits

good parts

that don’t need the bad

for understanding

but take us through

until we’re back

to just

or mostly

good for a while

x

the bugs

prefer the sun

when it’s gray

they tend to stay away

meaning

I think

that sometimes bugs are smart

and I mean to say

they might augur

how we might be

today

and further equipped

depending on

and if

we read the signs

x

new days

should follow

and I hope this one

knows you well

or gets you better

with its attributes

and gifts

some might say

miracle and grace

I’ll say that

for you

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Mikhail Vasilyev on Unsplash

Tambov, Russia

x

0

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