Francis and Me
(not unlike/not really like Ben and Me, book by Robert Lawson, film by Disney)
I’m too tired
Got up because
I was up
Got coffee for the ritual
And pleasure
From
The ritual
I’m writing
Though it’s gunk-like
Like old oil
That hasn’t yet been cleaned away
Nearly
Enough
From the machine
Replace the batteries
As well
Or something like
For charge
Get into it
But it’s a push
Against the hours I have lost
Again
Against pre-morning
Early-light
Fractal illumination
I ask
Of myself
As audience
While illumination
Of all kinds
Tries
To creep in
Over the factual sill
And the one
To
The mind
Over the parts
That sense
And I happen
Out of nerd-like interest (maybe)
Or a patriot’s dream
To think
About
Pre-dawn
Near a fort
On a ship
Neither so far away
(to ask)
How soon did he
How soon
Did Francis spy
The flag
Then write while on the ship
After uncertainty except
The fact of
(not a doorframe but)
A battle
Overnight
C L Couch
(starting at 4:30)
“The Fact of a Doorframe” is a poem by Adrienne Rich (title of book, too, “Selected Poems”)
Photo by Jamie Morrison on Unsplash
who knows
(there might be a question of syntax)
yet
simply
God bless
you today
for the reason of
between
you and God
that’s love
and in wisdom might
be tied a little tighter by
the need
by the terminus
of us
or simply because joy
is in the bonding
that doesn’t catch the air
as if to hold
but lets us breathe
rather
in freedom
by relationship
untyrannical
with interest in
the stewardship of all we are
by one
who counts
most practically
by numbers that are love
for the sake
of intense belief
like startling eyes
yet
in all of us
yes
what that means
regardless
and respectful
work out that conundrum
while we live
and have
the blessing
in
the making and
the keeping
c l couch
photo by Liana S on Unsplash
Kyiv, Ukraine
Poeming Also
A poem on
Anything
Not so difficult
Say
A listing of ingredients
Gives rise
As an epic
Choose
Something else
You know
Something like a star
Track the wording
How shall the phrases
Speak
To one thing
Or how many
Craft
Revise
Get it out
Not
Done ‘til we do that
C L Couch
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
[next one should begin "poeming also/really difficult"]
Look Me Over
(which—I’ll beat you to it—might imply overlook me)
I don’t know what
To say
Which is usually the case
As a daily thing
Until
It seems
I say something
Unprofound
A little
Story
Maybe
Something without pith
But might have some care
At words
Anyway
Some thoughtful
Phrasing
Maybe not
Totally
Unmeaningless
And all for you
And now how lucky
You must
Feel
But have a good
Day
Please
(regardless)
You deserve the rise and fall
From light
To dark
The best
Travel through
The twofold
Day
(of twenty-four)
Upon
Our Earth
C L Couch
Photo by Shot by Cerqueira on Unsplash
I’m Sure You Have Such Days
God is great
And on this day
I don’t feel
Great
And so much would
Rather
Rest
In God’s greatness
Honestly
And honestly
To breathe
Not through the air of
My own
Righteousness
Rather
In the justice
Come from Micah
Come from John
The prophets and the angels
Confidently
Uttering
And
For our reliance on
The voice of God
Of justice
Yes
And frankly
Closer to the core of need
Especially today
The voice
Of love
C L Couch
Photo by Vivek Doshi on Unsplash
Confession on the Edge of Something
I want
To know you
Walk with you
I want
To hear you
Though I guess
I want
To hear you my way
In a gentle conversation
Though we could
Talk
Of anything
Not the stentorian
Some are sure you are
Your voice
Must be
Your posture in
The cosmos
Leaning over planets
You have made
Course-correcting
Comets
For the timing of foreboding
Forestalling barbarians
At the gate
Maybe for a time
And I
And mine
Only a step above
Because
Well
How many of us
Feared for Y2K
And should we listen
Should we read judiciously
Of nature
And the pages
Of our own
The stories that like pillows
We might stitch across
The centers
So to say
Here is something
Please hear it
We might understand
The tones of God
Of you
Early morning
By the heat of day
Or when it’s freezing
In the evening when
We celebrate
Or come to rest
And could hear
If we wanted
Still
Small voices
If like the peace
That has gone by understanding
Like the hare
We could catch up
With you
Not by racing
But by stopping
Now and then
An easy SVE
And have a thought or two
For where we are
To find out
We surpass the hare
Expenditure
Or tangled in something
It could not be free of
By the road
Distraction
I guess
Of many something shiny
So we win
The course
By persisting
Simply moving on
Then stopping
When we need to
To hear
To look
To touch
To smell
To taste
Trying the sense of time
As well
That the world waits
Not waiting
And how about
That spiritual sense
Of things
The thing inside
The presence
The thing outside
Another kind
Of presence
Bidding come inside
The invitation
Made
The knock is given
And shall we open
Shall I open
To have you come inside
To talk with me
In chairs
With drinks
And over time
To stay
So that I wonder whose is whose
And make mistakes through
Fear of that
While you wait
Wherever inside
I let you
Until you have free reign
(I wonder where that came from)
Over everything inside
Even through my senses
Even through my
Will
That seems to be the challenge
The big deal
Enough to have
Broke Eden
Enough to make me tussle with my own
The wrestling with desire
And the fear
Of desire
‘Til I might get that right with you
By you
As well
And all be well
(dear Julian
with cat)
Though there’s that peace
That goes ahead
Of all the understanding
All the limits by
Mortal conveyance
Lest we sit with you
And listen
Also speak
Of truth
And also love
So many things to get right
Even in
A final hour
Thank you for responding
To my invitation
Poor for time and talking space
Only my own
And rudely certainly
Against worldly or heavenly
Refinement
That you know
But we could
If we may
If rather shapelessly
In words
And plans
Get things started
For good faith
And living
Anyway
C L Couch
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
No Birds in Gaza
(from Rosemerry)
An unknown casualty of war
Except for those who know
How nature has
Absconded
Or simply stayed there
To take it
Based on exigence
Of seasons
We think of as
A cycle of life
Demolished
However
Goes the cycle
With reason
That which left
Shall not return
With those who are destroyed
On site
Well
They
Shall go to God
And not come back
To us
So that there’s nothingness
Which is
The cause of war
CLC
https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2024/07/07/at-four-forty-six-a-m-when-i-cant-sleep/
Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash
in church
I tuned in
they don’t know I’m here
but the God of electrons
which is too small
too residual
for that
to make a difference
to me
except now when I’m thinking of
electrons
and God
c l couch
photo by Ronaldo de Oliveira on Unsplash
on line, online—get it?
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