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clcouch123

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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.

to my cybernetic and my fleshly family


to my cybernetic and my fleshly family

my computer's burning up
as with fever
meaning there's no fire
far as I know
except maybe
on the inside
as happens
signaled by devices
on our foreheads
or elsewhere

the machine is old
I guess
in the way
machines like this
get old
though my senses
as a hobbit
and a Luddite
get confused

but last night
like the theatre after hours
my machine
went dark
in something like
an impulse toward survival
I imagine

it came back
and might endure
in spates
of time
and functionality
perhaps

in the mean time
(like the theatre)
I might have to go dark
myself
here
and also there

not that the world won't change
because of all
good things that might be
happening
because of you

thank you
be well
following seas
I'll be in touch
as I can
(not may
this time
depending on my own
battery life)
until with
a new device
I guess

then
returning shall be more or less
indefinite
not undefinite
like certain questions
that some of our work
intentionally
proposes

Christopher


photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
(and blue's my favorite color, sigh)

2

Pen Pal


Pen Pal



It’s a bright day

Here

If it sticks

It will the first one

That we’ve had

In a while



I’m tired

Slept poorly

I had coffee with friends

Last night

Which most likely

Kept me up

Though it was good

Coffee



And how is it

Where you are

Just now

More importantly

How are you

I’d

Like to know



More important

Than

The weather

Without doubt

Though

You know

The weather

Has been an easy

Entry

(and

entre nous)

Into conversation



Except

Maybe

Anymore

With changing climate

Then

Who knows

Who’s affected

By



What happens

Climatic

Anymore



So would you

Mind

Telling me

How you are doing

And how safe

In any way

You are

Just now



Sincerely yours




C L Couch





Photo by NOAA on Unsplash
1

it is Wear Red Day


it is Wear Red Day



locally

it is a “Heart” day

I am told

(with all the viewers)

wear red

remember

who’s researching

how to live with

all the troubles

that might happen

to this muscle

also

standing

(symbolizing)

for so much



National Wear Red Day

especially for women

who tend to go unidentified

as victims

of heart trouble



the day

this day

is also the centennial

of the American Heart Association

so much research

so much funding

for research

and also teaching



learning how often

this might happen to women

inside women

(yes

inside men

and don’t I know)

but the symptoms

can go differently

so differently

and she

and those for she

should know

identify

and react so fast

when these might happen

to her



red day

we are red

today

and red means oxygen

which all bodies

should take in

to nourish all our parts

with freedom



though when impeded

we need

red help

the symbol

raising money

and awareness

and our hopes

starting here

with her

with him

then to the world

with all the hearts

heart-lives

out there

out here



c l couch





(and, yes, it’s been the time for Imbolc and Candlemas and Saint Brigid and the groundhog did not see his (Phil’s) shadow—and these mean more than we may know for how we observe and take part in our seasons and also all our days

but women suffer from not only heart disease but from lack of awareness of symptoms and then what to do

while heart disease kills all of us more than any other reason such as cancer or crime)



photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
1

prismatic day


prismatic day



what if racial

were delightful

what if I

delighted

found deep pleasure

meeting you

or passing you

and

exhaling

with deep pleasure

such an

interesting world



I know

I know

this nation

for example

started in

a backward

human way

since owning people

is reverse

of what God wanted

what God made



if only

in Africa and Europe

and then here

we had

I don’t know

let it go the other way

reasonably

let Blacks own whites

upon the block

at auction-time

and in the fallow

fields

needing crops



I know

I know

those made

and make

an even Biblical

argument for ownership

maybe for skin color

too

and white-righteousness

but I think we could

we could

agree

agree

that in the present context

of the way we live

today

today

such major points

made of minor insinuations

are wrong

at least wrong-headed

and frankly

evil

to have practiced

and to practice

now



I don’t know

call me a lover

I have had

my encounters

as have you

if you have



the world is the world

I guess

and we should take it

as it is

but never

never

leave it there

the unjust parts

the evil parts

the sinful



we have long ways to go

long ways

before we like each other

in the meeting of each other

superficially

then there’s the depth

of skin

beneath the skin

to plumb

in our knowing

of each other



there are the other differences

too

that cause disruption

disequality

disliking

so far to hating

ultra-hating

in some parts of us

here and there

(and sometimes there

is huge)

while these are the very things

for liking

for the difference

for how we are

and we contribute

differently



so much a fearful world

and there are fear-mongers

who profit

from the fear

who delight

wickedly

from the control

the very thing that’s good

turned bad

for perception

for agenda

hiding behind

(not underneath)

the skin

also

the skin of things



so much fear

so much fear

and fear turns into hatred

turns into anger

turns into righteous crime

as rationale

for hurting

for robbing

and for stealing

and a plan

an expectation

to get away with it

for righteousness



God

is righteous

we

are not

and in my doctrine

God as Christ

had to die for this

to open up our

pretended righteousness

to life anew

having surrendered that



while in your doctrine

God is also good

and God is

great

or there is no God

and still you wouldn’t justify

the taking

and the killing

for another’s difference

which could

and should

add to yours



meaning there is reason

as well as doctrine

for the liking

of each other

out of

foundational love

in the creation

and the molecules

of everything

which makes love deep

and practical

and liking

at least good for style

and really so much more

for meeting

and transaction

in the world



so shall

we give the world a chance

maybe as is

as well as it should be

colorful

shapeful

a myriad like prisms

in spectrographs

a miracle

perhaps

but a real delight

as in the taste of

good food

and good company



though there is

the matter of need

though there is

the matter of need

and shall we say

that matters

for deliberation

more importantly

for practice



it could make for

a separate economy

if need

here’s an economy for need

here’s the economy

for money

stocks

commodities

and bonds



the need is filled

on its own

with those devoted to that

the rest might be

for profit

as it is

(though I’d prefer

less life-sucking

if not less

murderous)

so that

we have a world

that might drink and eat

have shelter

and the chance for learning

which would make us

better

less war-like

having less need

for war



an argument

for economy

and peace

and the meeting of each other

in better forums

and

to say the least

more promising



you know

I have been sorry

say I’m sorry

every day

and in sorry

there might be change

maybe stepping toward

contrition

repentance

compassion

(then)

and empathy



like listening

like listening

there are skills

to learn



and a world to see

or without seeing

hear

and more than senses

have some feeling

for a world

that is our world

really

without destroying it

our world



c l couch





today begins Black History Month (the inspiration)



photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
1

let’s say a year


let’s say a year



a year

let’s say a year

a year of peace on Earth

to try

then come back

in a year

to talk about

how it went

how it goes



we might learn

say

that war

is bad for the economy

though the bullet-

and missile-

manufacturers

might disagree



we mean learn

that keeping up

our homes

is better

when our homes

are actually

up



we might enjoy

green spaces

beneath unimpeded

blue



or we might

work so very hard

on the other things

that worry

us

(like wool)

and sometimes destroy us

parts of us

all of us



we might make safer airplanes

and what goes

on the road

we might go

on the roads ourselves

to seek a peaceful journey



match the tone

of the time

set down what we

hear and see and smell and taste

and touch

set something down

to share

via the summit

later



we might learn

that we like this state

and that we like

this place

this way



we might go for

another year

or let explode

all things behind the barriers

that could explode

explode

and go to war

in small

destroying ways

like infiltrating

toadstools

or have an armageddon

between nations

letting in

militias

and weaponed gangs

as well



and fight officially

or with a sense

of random

‘til it all be done

except

it’s never done



or

as was said

we could go for

a second year

of peace

and in that time

upbuild

the rest



but for now

how about

a year

let’s go for a year



c l couch





photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash
3

poem published in Edge of Humanity Magazine

The Shape And Change Of Things

Hi,

Above is a headline for a link plus an excerpt for a poem of mine published recently in Edge of Humanity Magazine. I find their works creative and timely. There is text and other artwork featured. A feast of media, as it were (as it is).

I am grateful to Joelcy Kay, Editor and Curator of Edge of Humanity Magazine. The home page for the magazine is at www.edgeofhumanity.com.

Thanks so much for looking and for reading. I hope each of you is having a fine Tuesday (or fine Wednesday soon in other parts).

Christopher

9

disseasonability


disseasonability



an easy winter

brutal summer

heat

in exchange for

the snow

fair exchange?

there is romance

in the snow

yes

and peril, too

but do we forget

(speaking in January)

that

there is danger

in the high heat,

too

not to mention

polar ice shelves

sliding into

sea

exposing land

which is interesting

though

in fact

we are losing our cool

so to say

and for real



the Earth is heating

and we need

the heat

and shall we forget

we need the cold

as well



sorry

we’re not halfway

keep talking winter

in the northern world

at least

and maybe ask

down south

how the summer’s

doing



c l couch





photo by Liana S on Unsplash
0

for once


for once

(please or is it pleas)



if God

then God

come down

not only from the Christmas tree

but from every tall place

we cannot reach

or only with precarity



and up from every

deep dark place

we can imagine

not to mention woeful places

we cannot



and from left

or from the right

and then from the inside

where our own spirits

reside

with or without alliances

from the spirit

that moves everywhere

and with our will

might live

within us



God come from every place

every point

we measure

and beyond

and realize

please

for once

a real form

that we can see

from which we hear the voice

that we could taste

and close enough to smell

even to touch

with or without piercing points

for remembrance

or for proof



and be here for a while

we could have coffee

with or without

an armageddon

after



c l couch





photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash



“Christ Climbed Down” is a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, which I thought of when writing about God climbing ("come down")

1

day of remembrance


yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and so the following is for this day and any day we remember something larger than ourselves that still involves our responsibility in happiness or sadness to enact




day of remembrance



yesterday was for remembrance

each day is for remembrance

and recall

together

with poppies

or monuments of angles

the ceremonies we create

over what has happened

so we might remember

and not

as Santayana says

doom ourselves

to repetition

of the dire

and destructive



take it slowly on these days

don’t rush to something else

the prophet margin

will remain

in the margins

a call of justice

that is heard

might mediate

with all the other worldly matters

all our loves

the good things

the distracting things

that sometimes we must order

like new things

especially through

our days of remembrance



c l couch





photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash
1

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