Holy Wednesday homework
sigh
Wednesday of Holy Week
a nothing day
third of
unfamous days
before
the rituals old and new
determined by a world or one’s
parish
or the way one has developed
over time
of expectation or endurance
of obligation
sigh
good
meaningful days if added
to the rest that must
go
on or goes on
anyway
add in hopes for chocolate
hardboiled eggs
and
ham
green artificial grass
that’s all
suburban passing but
might prayers go more intentional
for
the wars on
diseases
thieving of all kinds
among
these
theft of spirit of one kind
then
the other
pray for me
but while I’m praying
pray
for you
for needs I know
or
have kept away
by gesture
and
by habit
pray creatively
why don’t we
awkwardly
for lack of use applying our own words
but
it is Easter week and God’s hearing
might be understanding
flexible
and
you know
God gets it
anyway
c l couch
photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash
tell me
pretty pale blue
nothing new
and new
and wonderful each time
c l couch
photo by The DK Photography on Unsplash
a poem from pre-dawn with a request of mine, below
look up
who can and may
dark
rectangles
white
nothing else to be seen there
the lights are dim inside
waiting
like Lent
like Advent
in fact
for dawn
and a kind of dawn
that lights and then illuminates
the mind
after some moments by the spirit
alone
first
to know tht something extraordinary has
happened with the normal
change
still impressive
every day
break
from night with day
as if
the dark were ominous
as if there had
been
say
three days’ worth
and soon
surprising all the first
time
though there had been cues
that some could note who heard
and
made good guesses
amazing
guesses
of guards and a great stone
and a new emptiness inside
the kind that says
the world is dry
and clean
and might be filled again for the first
time
with just amounts of white and black and
all colors
and no colors
in between
a dawn to come today
far
as we know
as any other
with more promise as that new day had brought
and
new days each some different
now
c l couch
next week, I will have a procedure done near my heart (then in a month another); I am skittish over matters such as thin blood and claustrophobia and, well, heart disease overall
any prayers or good thoughts you could send my way for a smooth operation and a smooth me would be truly appreciated; prayer (and good thoughts) have power, and a blanket of such over me would help, I know; the procedure is Thursday (Maundy Thursday) April 2; I won’t know the time ‘til the evening before
thank you so much
Christopher
photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash
a democracy of clouds
cool
cloudy
promising a sleepy sun
palely then
coloring the day
and
it’s all right
sky-wide pastiche
all easy tones
to
take down aggression into
thoughtfulness
the invitation
request from
Talowa
or
Changing Woman
to take this day
to share it
earn it well and then
to have a portion
lent
to us as any power
any part of
what’s created
to us for a time
until
a reckoning with final dispositions
c l couch
photo by Fiona Murray-deGraaff on Unsplash
I sing if I protest the electric body
it’s artificial
that I breathe by moving air
and the heartbeat
is
machine-aided
too
and all the other metal
in there for help arteries
be arteries
with marks of sutures past
holes
or for scars bumps and ridges here
or there
and we could say
see the other
guy
to sound beyond it all while inside
it all and
is there pain
phantom or daytime
maybe
encroaching as protest
in
aging
so I am old and I am new
and
there are operations
offending all the freedom-wish
inside me
someday to cease
to relent
set down
and know the better source from which
all decent quickening is
always
by cosmic grace
and will
c l couch
(“the body electric” crafted and used by Whitman and then Bradbury)
photo by David Levêque on Unsplash
starting on Saint Patrick Day
for the Irish family
what if God tends to clay
atop a color wheel
smooths hard at first
in
dealing with the ground
of dust
then gestures artful and tender
giving shape
and then some drying and some glazing
even
through a fire
so tempered then
to set on Earth
for
beauty and for usefulness
beauty
in the spirit
and so inspired living
was
turned
tempered
having been crucibled
at
first
perhaps
against adulterations like those that somehow
infiltrated Eden
anyway
now
on an Earth of love
and also peril
sometimes one turned to the other
and
yet throughout the hope for
aging
maybe patina or to fall cracked
and thus required by
reconciliation
gold in the cracks in the Japanese
way
that shows the way
all a metaphor
except
the ground is real
so is God
so are we
so is the process that
repairs
and bears us home redeemed
c l couch
photo by Egor Myznik on Unsplash
last place
vision shared
if I should get one more
to try
smallish place
but high with windows
please
then to set a circle out of chairs
lamps
here and there
so you may come to call
and
bring your friends
and we could talk of this or
that
of the word of God
in book and
in
the world
or what
to be praying for
when we have talked enough
on point
then
this intention
final chats
and
go
and I am at least a little pleased
that isolation goes
with some
condition for some company
while
on
that way
if no other closeness than the spirits
which should be close
enough
I know
though now I’d take more in the flesh as
any
might receive from
me
in this last
try
at home
though remember
but then one
or two
come by so we will sit
and
sip
and chat of
you know
anything
c l couch
photo by Jessica Christian on Unsplash
always all the ways
God reaches
down or
up
to say I love you
which
as the maker saying first
God then
awaiting
all entryways or corners as
safe traps
any place or
way by
which
through which
we’re heard
should we return at all
and
on our own
say
love
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1 John 4:19
photo by James Fesh on Unsplash
goodniks
have we thought
of anything today that’s good
not
masked
rationalized
gold-plated but
good
the way we say of God via Aslan
not safe but
good
something good that might have to take a chance
even to risk rank in
the world
if not fragile
then
though who knows whom we care for
and
what might be the issues there
the person
the relationship
and
do we wish goodness in the world
and might we commit ourselves to the smallest
things
to do
to promulgate
in spite of rudeness
greed
whatever someone else might want
and should not want and someday
when the world is sound
with
provision to keep all alive and
on the way
could not want
anyway
someday it will be that way
while the good we do
ain’t there
and so takes chances
against
the bloating thing that wants it all
while the rest of us are
grist
or paper targets
so
how about that goodness
might we
speak polite
might we give way to someone else
through
the door or to the chair
by what
is
strong and what is
weak
how might we begin
or for some of us to carry on
the giving that is
small
then large
then changes everything
but
good
today enough
for
you and me
today
c l couch
“Who is Aslan?” asked Susan.
“Aslan?” said Mr. Beaver, “Why don’t you know? He’s the King. . . . It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus. . . .”
“Is—is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
“I’m longing to see him,” said Peter, “even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.”
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
photo by Rob Potter on Unsplash
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