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clcouch123

In conversation, I prefer Christopher. My mom named me after Christopher Robin, after all. In writing, I use “C L Couch” (or, more simply, “c l couch”) because the form is genderless and also frankly easier to use. I have awful writer’s cramp. I am an educator more or less retired, more or less due to disability. At present, I live in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (USA). My writing here I mean to be occasional and also devotional. Either or both. The banner and profile photographs are by my friend and peer Debra Danielson. More of Debbie’s work to be enjoyed is at debradanielson.org. Thanks to each of you and both and all for coming to my blog.

Segregation Wrecking Ball

(x = space)

x

x

Segregation Wrecking Ball

x

Separate but equal?

I think I am quoting

Equality

Some more equal than others

I have heard this

The bigot says

I want a line between us

A barrier

Easily, I want to separate

Every part of my life

Into what I want

Whatever

Due to my boxed sense of things

Some kind of superiority

Tragically

Closeted inside

Maybe waiting for a

Monolithic

Rally

x

Sigh

(or moan or growl)

Those of us who never understood

The world from above

Is yes

Without borders

How

We are one blue-green marble

Rolling in relation

To the rest

x

Segregation

Takes strange energy

Nothing at all

Like strange and wonderful

But an investment

In dreadful

In the ersatz and the eldritch

A devilish combining

To elevate

The worst of us

x

We can do so much better

And it’s easier

It’s breathing air

It’s waking up

Having meals

Walking through our days

To give each other

Without baleful thought

The time of day

The normal investment

Of our lives

In greetings

And strategies

Together

x

The normalcy

The unsung justice

Of equality

Without the need to say it

From having it

So long

x

Hope for today

And in the generations

No separation

Normal restraint

For being human

Normal modesty

x

A delight in who we are

Without thinking

Who we are

x

Not colorblind

But colorful

Tropical and polar worlds

Temperate zones

Everywhere we are

The normal grace

Through which

We live and love and

Have our being

A liturgy of ages

Let the ages fit with such

Actions and such virtues

Start now

x

We have to learn

What the future

Will not have to

x

Except in learning about us

And what happened next

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Resource Database on Unsplash

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4

We Need You and Sometimes We Can’t

(x = space)

x

x

We Need You and Sometimes We Can’t

x

Help us to love you,

O Lord,

Though

You may live without us

x

Still, we can exist

Together

In a bond that is

Extraordinary:

Of energy, of will,

Of love without agenda,

All around

x

It’s hard to love invisibly

With thoughts and feelings

We can’t see

And then

Your presence, Lord

x

With things unseen

And unevidenced

In other ways,

Our senses confounded

For lack of usefulness

The kind employed in what we do

In anything—and

How may we

Sense you?

x

There is stigmata for a few

And apparitions;

There are those

Who hear your words

In air

Or those emblazoned

Understood

Upon the heart

x

We want to know;

We get frustrated

Then we worry

For offense

(offending God does not seem smart)

Or we give up

Ignore

And in internal ways

We walk away

x

But you are there

We should believe

And within parameters

Of material and abstract

Hope for more

x

That on this side

We may have in measures

That will have to do

For life

And faith

And all the things we have to do

To make things better

One by one

And altogether

x

Tolerance

And patience

Peace

And feeding

Giving water

Giving hope for more

In all the needs of life

(material and abstract)

x

Help us, Lord,

Or let us help ourselves

And the others;

Be with us

And invisibly

Leave us to choose

In respect

Of how we’re made

And otherwise arranged

Our will

That we often apply well

Even without

Preternatural accoutrements

Composing a few rituals

For service

Pledging how to live

On our own

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

x

0

A Word, Please

(x = space)

x

x

A Word, Please

x

Dance

A word I hear

Inside the air

Of movement

And of possibilities

x

Let’s try to move together

Earth and sky

And us between

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash

. . . five pairs were dancing tango . . . sensual, savoring with every movement. . . . ordinary people . . .

Lviv, Ukraine

x

So over three days there have been three poems for Valentine’s.  A study of love, a tribute to my mother, and thoughts about how a couple might move together.

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15 February

(x = space)

x

x

15 February

(1925 to 1983)

x

Today is Mom’s birthday

Happy Birthday, Mom

x

I trust

The birthdays have been

The happiest

Of days

Since you arrived

And for the forever

That you’ve been there

x

Do you have a place?

Is it your own

With neighbors

And community close by?

I imagine walls

Made of bright wood

And a few

Favorite things

And a door that opens

Into spring

x

It is a dream

It is a hope

It is a formless prayer

Against the real joy

Better than my guesses

Of eternity

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by daniela de gol on Unsplash

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0

Facets

(x = space)

x

x

Facets

x

1

x

What is love

But ether

And it’s action

We feel what we feel

We want to feel good

We have

Responsibilities

Sometimes some stoicism’s

Called for

Pink and red

Silliness, devotion

Both are good

And necessary

x

Love means doing things

Everyday things

And then there’s

Exigency

Something urgent happens

We respond

x

We argue

And we’re sorry

We’re afraid

There is a challenge

To have others

Believe in themselves

x

If there’s only selfishness

In you

Change you

x

And if you want all this

Have love

It is lasting

And delightful

It is solid

And it’s fluid

It changes us

Love changes

It’s supposed to

We have fun with it

We grow

And if it’s good love

It should last

Grow up with it

Grow old

x

2

x

Remember also

Let the circle widen

There are good people

Standing by

It is a lattice

A shiny, moving web

A honeycomb

The marble of the Earth

That turns

That displays wonder

With the movement

Of the atmosphere

x

Keep breathing

It is wonderful

Let love be oxygen

For muscles

That do work

That offer passion

That do play

That understand devotion

Pledge-keeping

Even without a pledge

In mind

x

Love is fair

There should be justice

In the house

In the yard

In the office

On the playground

With our friends

With strangers

Yes, be careful

Love needs time

And air

And food

Real food

And of the gods

And God

x

Devotion’s play

Love’s work

So many parts

Live them through

Live through them

Delight

Evolve

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

x

3

Valentine’s

(x = space)

x

x

Valentine’s

(belongs to you)

x

Valentine got famous

For correspondence;

Other saints send messages

x

Valentine left words

Of love and encouragement

As other saints have done—as

You or I have done

x

Then red and pink took over

x

Red for hearts,

Pink for I don’t know

x

Lace got in there, too:

We covered up our furniture,

Covered our piano legs

With that

x

Well, why not?

We need the colors in the winter

And red means passion,

Loyalty as well

x

While pink is fragile

As are all relationships

In part

x

Happy day for strengthening

Like exercise,

Metal in devotion

Like the metal in the jewelry

For a sign we wear

x

Happy Valentine’s

With valentines

x

Don’t force it

Or deny it:

If deny it,

Maybe do so

With a saint’s

Prudent

Contemplative quiet

x

For the rest,

Give the cake

Share the cake

Eat the cake

Enjoy refined sugar

Or have raisins

x

Or above the silence

And beneath the noise

Go slowly—pleased to

Talk it through

On or by

The sidewalks of the world

x

C L Couch

x

x

now you have a day to plan—you’re welcome

x

By Lorie Shaull from Washington, United States – Happy Valentine’s Day!, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56401542

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2

Good Books

(x = space)

x

x

Good Books

x

You know,

It is a good book

x

The pastor also quoted

From The Quran

Today;

Maybe I missed

The intent

(there was some talk about it, after),

But for me

It was a good

Refreshing moment

x

And I imagine there are good (refreshing) things

In The Upanishads

x

How about The Mishnah?

Theogony by Hesiod who

Believed

And

(yes, it’s cheek)

The House at Pooh Corner,

Which is not religious

But is pleasant

And spiritual

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Masjid Pogung Dalangan on Unsplash

x

3

Chalk Calculations on the Head of a Shovel

(x = space)

x

x

Chalk Calculations on the Head of a Shovel

x

Sunday

Is Lincoln’s birthday

I like this guy

Though I probably

Don’t know why

And don’t know enough

Why maybe

I should not

x

What I know

Is that he was born

In Kentucky

(me, too)

And he grew tall

(not me)

And had a sense of humor

(played pranks)

And could split rails

And was a failure

At nearly anything he tried

Except

The holding of one office

To which he was elected,

The one and he

That we remember

x

Republicans

Were upstarts then

And maybe have their best

In their first

‘Cause he was pretty good

Flawed

Perhaps greatly,

Haunted

By the losses

In his family

And in the losses in

The nation’s family

x

He was a kind of

Savior to that nation

In a conflict

That many folk

Did not take too seriously

Taking picnics

Borne in carriages

To watch the battle like

Watching

A tournament

x

And then the bullets

And the missiles

Spoke to say

There is no recreation

And four years later

(every war is Pyrrhic)

Everyone who breathed

Said for themselves

And for everyone

No longer drawing breath

This is enough

Let’s have an ending

To the ruinous process

We drew upon ourselves

For growing up

A country

Four years

As an age

x

He freed the slaves

Many people freed the slaves

Among them slaves

x

The many battles,

Wounds and deaths

Disease

Formulative scars later

And the war

Was over

Save the carpetbagging

And the agonizing irony

Of Reconstruction

x

But first

By the assassination’s bullet

He was removed

From everything we know

And might improve

x

Johnson tried

But was impeached

Though not convicted

And was left

To practice

What we recall as an ineffectual

Administration

x

The remains

Of Abraham

Were taken from the capitol

To Springfield

For burial

While we’ve had nearly

Eight-score years

To count his steps

And missteps

But he was carried

And placed over stone

And under earth

For silence

x

And shall we say he’s great?

Greatness is

On the inside

Of a life

And then through what is done

And if we can reason there

We may only with

Minimal compunction

Call him great

x

Once we have decided,

We should relate the news

To the President

Maybe

Before his tomb

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash

x

0

prosaically yours

x = space

x

x

prosaically yours

more so more likely than versically

x

i’m tired

second cup of coffee

tv for distraction

more senses involved

than music

i should pray

i don’t what to say

could god answer anyway

there’s omniscience

after all

x

my eyes are tired

computer screens don’t help

nor does the time

i couldn’t sleep

rose well

into remaining darkness

wrote for hours

tried to sleep

wrote some more

that would be now

x

so here is

honestly

and what shall happen

next

is up to me

but i must manage balance

between staying in

to raise awareness

or going out

not so far

to run

to drive

some errands

x

like kenny loggins at

pooh corner

there are things to do

that are exigent

prescriptions to retrieve

gasoline to get beforehand

x

you know

i don’t have an

electric car

though i grieve historically

the stanley steamer

while i’ve only

come across

two pumps for electricity

in my collection

of small towns

what is the

strategy

for everyone

only charge our cars

at home

x

there is trash to take out

as well

first or last

and more

you know

always more

x

it’s friday

i should take the weekend

to bear it somewhere

fine

and i want

to say however plainly that

i hope you’ll carry yours

to such a place

as well

x

i should say toward the conclusion

not parenthetically

that I mourn

i talked with my sister for

a while last night

we talked

about our loss

and everything that still needs doing

that she’s doing mostly

my part is to buoy

x

if i pull that off

i should be helpful

which

is an impulse

or an instinct

from which

except in what were

and still might be

extreme and selfish times

it seems

i will not be released

x

not to speak to heroes

for companionship but

as much to say

i come from dust

x

c l couch

x

x

if it’s not friday for you

or even daytime

fill in with your own day

of the week

the weekend comes

or has arrived

regardless

x

photo by félix prado on unsplash

x

0

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