a prayer
mother and father
heal them
and help them
help our family
and our friends
help all the strangers in the world
whom we do not know
but you know
through and through
c l couch
photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash
2 poems kind of about brokenness (sorry)
When the Circle’s Not Unbroken
The Lord
Invites us
To the circle
Or the square
Or something oblong
Maybe
Rhomboid
To something
Maybe broken
For design
Or due to
Some experience
That seems
To break up everything
Fear
And anger
Breaking out
Without
The lines
To keep it in
To keep what might be loved
Therein
Though love remains
In the fragments
The Lord
Cares for us in these
And if the situation
Backs in
From extreme
The parts
Maybe come together
In a new shape
If partial
While we gesture
Talk
And work on fixing
For a while
Call it prayer
Call it Bible study
Call it therapy
Or medication
Every means
That helps
In measured
Dosage
And discretion
‘Til something like
Our circle
Even as
Something else
Shall come together
Maybe with a new
Amen
March on Two Left Feet
(or right)
The fifth already
Seems like
March is
The right name
The lion hasn’t really
Come
Though are there hints
Of lambs
Is a fair question
It’s in-between
A kind of academic
Purgatory
While the sky
And Earth
Decide
To fix the things
From winter
Into spring
We hope
The flowers undeceived
The planting happen
In its own
Good timing
That might have to change
Or not
Should good-guessing be required
By planters
Of all kinds
Who typically
Are breathing through
Northeastern cold
While waiting
For green seasons
To begin
C L Couch
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
Manic Monday
(and don’t panic)
God sang
The song into creation
The lion did as much
And our holy words
In works
Imply
We are created
We are that song
Or its interpretation
In darkness
And in light
And the bestowal
Of a garden
With the first object lesson
For the teachers
That the garden
Stands
For something we
No longer have
While we must work
In labor
And in labor
For
What we got
Each era is a lesson
We could say
And maybe they progress
The human ages
Which is why
We say
They’re ages
(we get older)
We grow
Some
We adapt
Physically
Some
Though not as much
As one might think
For as long as we’ve
Been here
And this might not be
So much by us
As by
The touch of God
God knowing
We’ll need adaptive parts
As we go on
(grow on)
What do I know
It’s Monday
And I’m feeling existential
With the blues on electric pages
Making less sense
To me
(than could it be
our music style)
Than paper
With its white
And off-white
Receiving of
Our pen strokes
Painting
With black ink
C L Couch
[note to me and now to us
so what’s this poem about?—it’s about thinking and writing, yes, really about both]
I am having trouble with the blue lights on computers. Or the part of the lights that are blue. Or maybe feeling blue. I think it’s both.
The result is that I’m even more recalcitrant in using this thing. This vital thing. I’ve had to use it for a while then rest my eyes. Rest my eyes upon the rest of the world.
So if I’m worse about responding than is typical (and typically it can be pretty bad), then I’m sorry. But as the emperor said quite uselessly, there it is.
--Christopher
Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash
Nous existons. Vraiment.
Lift
(the congregation sings)
Humble sign
Of
Ordinary execution
Ancient
Egyptian
Means
And then Roman
One by one by one
And two
We make this cross
Depict it
Empty
Or with Jesus on it
C L Couch
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
Ancient of Days
God
As God
Requires
That we love God
With our minds
With our hearts
With our souls
And that
We love our neighbors
As ourselves
Which does mean
Self-love
Must be in there
Too
It isn’t a request
It is a command
From God
First command
Second command
At least as Deuteronomy
And Jesus
Has arranged
What we are told
To do
I know we see all this
As optional
As if God required less
Than the military
Or our bosses
Or out contracts
Though these came first
And do not change
With rank
Or a new job
It is a
God who commands
For whom blood was required
And a nation follow
Or be brought down
Be outcast
By the power of
Worldly forces
That won the day
Because the people had
Abandoned
God
And faith
And certainly
Obedience
It all seems ancient
Irrelevant
And at best
Relative
Doesn’t it
We moderns do not live
This way
We don’t fret over altars
Or unblemished offerings
Not of animals
And certainly not
Ourselves
We take the dross of doctrine
Leave the rest
Inside the book
Inside the church or temple
That we enter and exit
Now and then
Even weekly
Without doubt for holidays
Yes
Without doubt
This year
God loves
God waits
God invites
God doesn’t require
Fancy dress
Or best behavior
God love us as we are
Wants no change
Might wait for deathbeds
For confessions
And an
Affirmation
Guaranteeing heaven
Or God’s our pal
And pals don’t leave other pals
Out in the dark
The rain
By the gate
That we’re sure will open for us
God’s our pal
The dross of doctrine
Looks
Behavior
What we give
Whom we serve
Tangential faith
Appreciation for the invitation
Please stand by
The modern spiritual life
Lukewarm at best
And it seems
God doesn’t cotton to
Lukewarm
Or bits of this or that
That might be good
If only by
Our arguments
Or statements
To the press
Or whoever might be listening
In the mirror
We’ll get around to God
Perhaps
The way God is
And what God wants
After work
And after home
And after neighborhood
Relations
Maybe during vacation
Or really
After
Maybe when we’re there
And hear a sermon
We could instead
Think about what God wants
Think in our own way
Decide
In our own way
Maybe after entertainment
And by the way
For a show I pay with some money
In the plate
This should all be more
Impressive
Than it is
On my own
I might do better
Find better
Maybe I don’t have to come back
So much
A touch of religion
Less of faith
Nothing like
The mind
The heart
The spirit
After all
Faith is not that smart
It’s not material
Enough
It doesn’t admire
What I do
And what I have
Enough
And I don’t see faith
Changing wars
Or floods
Or earthquakes
After all
And how did people
Used to believe
With dead animals on altars
No
Thank you
I’ll take life as it is
As it’s progressed
As it’s civilized
With all the medicines
And the technology
With the better weapons on our side
How relevant
Is a faith in God
How necessary
Children know what to do
They have Mister Rogers
Sesame Street
And everything else
Approved
For their good growth
They are healthy
I’m sure
And if not all of them
Well
They were slipped through
The loop
Somehow
And that’s too bad
But most of them are fine
As most of us are fine
What more
Can we want
And God
Well
God
An invitation
Well
That’s nice
Maybe when I’m older
Have less to do
Fewer things
To worry over
Figure out
Make plans for
Yes
Then I’ll have time
Really to think about
Religion
And what a God
Might really want
That I could give
I’ll have less money then
But I’ll time
Yes
I’ll have time
To give you
That’s all right
Isn’t it
I mean
You’re a loving God
Which means your patient
Right
You’ll give me all the time
I need
C L Couch
Photo by WILLIAN REIS on Unsplash
long season
(means lengthen)
day of ash
season of thought
also season of service
and of
sacrifice
though all seasons behoove
today
ash on foreheads
ash made
from last year’s palms
and might look like a cross
for a while
then those who say
sorry
you have dirt
on your face
I thought you’d want
to know
c l couch
photo by Randy Laybourne on Unsplash
(x = space)
x
x
annunce
x
do not be afraid
it said
how not to be afraid
before an angel
calling
might have been a good
lesson
from my mother
x
I bring you
good news
but I am betrothed to
a good person
and
the families
are not in conflict
so
what need have I
for
further prizes
x
you shall bear a son
not by Joseph
but by
the Spirit of God
pause
well
pause
what will they say
what will he
believe
am I being offered
something
may I say no
x
I know the fall
of Eve
was from will
to know the truth
of good and evil
and I hope
I know the truth
at least enough to
decide
x
I shall say
yes
what other answer
to an angel
and my Lord
and if it was foregone
then
I will risk
divine trickery
or naivety
to choose
and then to say
x
yes
angel
yes
to God
x
as it is
I know I risk
sanction
and refusal
doubt
and rejection
and if there is reason
these reactions are
reasonable
x
but I will
go with God
and go to Joseph
and to
mother
father
and shall hope
and in hope
prepare for motherhood
as a complex surprise
in my youth
rejoice
O young woman
in thy appointed youth
pause
rejoice
x
c l couch
x
x
Ecclesiastes 11:9 (ASV)
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
x
Photo by Bartosz Kwitkowski on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
over 40,000
x
who is left after
are
the broken-hearted
inside broken-bodied
those left who
never believe
in anything
anymore
x
those who have no buildings left
houses or offices
or warehouses
and so sleep inside
if supplied
canvas or nylon
maybe with a floor
maybe not
or in a wide and tall shelter
that might have been
something else
in days
that we do not believe in anymore
x
earth for ground
which for many
isn’t new at all
x
my city’s count
of people gone
razored rubbled stones too big
for anyone or a small group
to lift
even though a noise is heard
or sign or life is seen
or was it imagined
x
we must wait
for healthy people
big machines
waiting on either side
clichés belied
a fresh hell
too late
too little
though
we will get to each other
whatever
living status
notwithstanding
x
there is a border
do we care
tribes
as we knew tribes
who lived in places
x
without places
where
is home
x
it’s nowhere
there is nothing
not even peace
of a flat nothingness
there is so much
cracked rock
torn sheets of metal
splintered glass
and
split ground
x
metal, plastic, cloth
pieces to remove
maybe to inventory
but first
to look and hear
and touch and taste
and smell
for signs of life
x
if there are signs of recognition
(sounds official)
any part that was alive
a writhing shape
or something
monstrously creative
for flesh
and bone
and everything that
moved
in health
not designed
in making
x
it’s visceral
and horrible
to contemplate
x
and here they are
he
she
they
and us
then lifted up
and carried
to wherever
whatever
might be left of us
to carry
and to set down
by the victims
walking
driving
bearing
with newcomers
myriad
with everything inside
that should be inside
shelters
and bodies for shelters
x
time for work
and for embraces
and feeding pets
that also
have been found
x
we must count
though all
for help
if horribly
piecemeal
whole
in-part
surprises
when we find
each other
as we find
each other
x
miracles
or awful
(without awe)
revelation
x
two nations
and all families
in shock
material and flesh
therein
all rived apart
enormous pieces
and so small
like mortal
or like venal
sin
x
we are tired
we are so tired
marrow-tired
yet we lift
like eyes to hills
with all the senses
sensing
and our muscles
weeping
like our faces
and our souls
x
hoping
fearing
to find anything
for what we’ve found
and know
so far
x
the definition
of a living hell
new definitions
ghastly or ghostly
(grim humor
or humors
medieval inquest drawn out)
for the victims
and the victims
x
nature and people
where is evil
maybe nowhere
maybe do not care
but as we can
and for the good
with what we have
get over there
x
c l couch
x
x
photo by xander ashwell on unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
On the First Day
x
Ash Wednesday
Let’s have ash
Upon our foreheads
Crosses that will smudge
And that’s all right
Throughout
The day into
The evening
For the season
x
We say it’s for remembrance
Of death
And our mortality
But our foreheads are warm
There’s temperature beneath
And all the little crosses
Bearing small,
Smudged,
And living
Testimony
Everywhere
x
Not bad for evangelism
Contraindicated for a show
Rather a story of
Black, loving humility
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash
x
clcouch123 
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