at four
I moved a bunch of things around
at four
a.m.
and
do you ever feel that way that makes
you move
by impulse
maybe a sign of depression
of
at least preoccupation
then
to hope by the day inhabited
more sensibly
changes all
look or serve in another way all right
about the depression I have pills
and counseling
and
then the need to be up at four moving things
around
in what I think is
my home
life
though I’m not sure I was thinking anything so grand then
in
the dark hour rather unsaintly
of unknowing
and now
I think on it
I knew
a chaplain who when he had to told me
that he cleaned his place at
two
antemeridian
that is
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photo by Luke Collinson on Unsplash
church going in again
(with reference to “Church Going” by Philip Larkin)
oh
Jesus
keep me alive
‘til I can find a church
and
have the morning energy
to show up
church
returning
(Mister Larkin and will you excuse
me)
in the mean time please with grace and
miracle
won’t you
please
and thank you
and
this is how I talk
to a God
Jesus my pal
(as in the movie)
buddy
friend to meet at diners
and
well
maybe so
maybe Jesus is a companion
in
familiar ways
and
might not mind our forward comments
or to go so easy
with doctrine though I’m not so sure
about
commandment
I say in
need
of grace and miracle
again
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photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
(the movie is Dogma)
a Tuesday to try to be with God
(sorry while it’s long)
so about you
Lord
and may I call you
Lord
though you are nameless
or all names
somehow
and how do I know you unseen
evidence
unseen
the mystics knew
I guess
and Doctors of the Church
or
anyone who wrote enough or was
recorded
so they say
and
so we know
and
does this work
of
sayings
little flowers
to
go through entire books
and maybe so
maybe
we know you through these pages
or could it
be
unworded
leaves in forests
because nature
may testify as well
yet
by disaster
we might ask as well
the punishments
of fire
or of quakes or magma from
eruptions
how or what
what might we might learn
of you
and your intentions on this Earth
that
you have made
and yet
if we kept our distance
measured well
and
kept our visits seasonal
I don’t know
I guess
we’d still have problems
and to wonder
over
cynicism learned
or is
there hope on Earth and by
catastrophes
we
learn readiness and response
Earthly
for each other
all sides of gospel then
like sides
of nature whispering
or
shouting
yet
all this
not enough to know
you
and why bother through our limitations
limitations over
you about
your
nature and your presence
and yet we love you
and we think
go as far as to testify
that you
love us
and
maybe have a plan for each
though needing elasticity
as we respond
this way or
that
by choices
since
we understand
that will and freedom should
be ours
and maybe that is
so
that is
your flexible designs so we may select for
real
somehow and yet by you
we decide and
you
affirm ahead of
time
and ready to receive us
as you are God
yet you are God
why bother
waiting for us
but
then why have us
anyway
why make us when creation seemed
so perfect in the story
and then we get here
and we go too far by will
into war and other violence
much of it
close to home
ask Tamar
in the house of David
we are so easy moved by greed
also
pretense to power
since power is from you
and lent
as lent
for a time
all the things we do
we build
and then let fall
our egos drive
we develop false philosophies
movements that bring others down
with us
and may I ask
of our bodies
Lord
yes
groups
and I mean each actual
physical
skin and muscles around bones
organs
within
as they are
so strong
and so fragile
sigh
too much or too little
but there is
love
and faith
and if wisdom must allay itself before
fullness
and
perfection
well
so it is
like many things that are
and we don’t know them while
we have them
two
aspects of creation
even
of two parts of wonder
with aspects
like facets
while you are God
and I happen
to be I
and all of us
be
all of us
with
enough totality while we may wonder
in our ways
over
all the rest
until all the rest revealed
and
still might need interpretation
until you speak through angels
loud
(maybe not so loud)
and clear
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photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
Zion
(sorry, heard the word from the TV)
Zion is a mountain
also an -ism
for
who loves Israel
but everyone
and
there’s possession and
there’s peace
and who shall have each
and by
what means
and who would rather live in peace
and who must have
the victory
or
would we relent
if
all relent
not resignation but
the affirmation
that
the Earth is good and all of us deserve
in our making
and co-making so to live
here as
us
and so
peace and good to all
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photo by 🐣 Luca Iaconelli 🦊 on Unsplash
today while there are blossoms and other parts of songs
okay
what do I want
to say today
that God
is love
of course
and we should believe in God
and so believe
in
love
and so based on God
you know
then love ourselves and each other
equally
(there is a code on
that)
maybe try
in small ways to love to begin
(or go
on)
since that
is
probably how
we will finish
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“Today” is a song by Randy Sparks
photo by Gowtham AGM on Unsplash
Saturday haiku
(senses applied to what’s outside; maybe each verse stands alone; maybe they all have to go together)
the skitterers wait
leaves falling then branches cleared
skittering delight
what is there to hear
surprised or unsurprised sound
to like or endure
out front I smell town
cars and bricks and street work there
out back trees and leaves
unconvincing taste
air that’s all mixed together
good and bad to breathe
touching the splinters
old drying frame of window
trees too far away
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photo by LR HULTS on Unsplash
smells and whatever from outside
(not named for Ralph but look below)
like
sometimes when
not so bad
but
takes a dog
I used to like the smell of my wet dog
I suppose because I knew
I’d
dry him off
first thing
yet while wet
he'd smell ike him
and
also like
affectionthen
then
he’d jump on the bed
and we might be sleeping if
only his
and then a new day to get wet
which sometimes
if a creek
a dog loves to do
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photo by Arūnas Naujokas on Unsplash
thank you, photographer--photo looks like Ralph who had not spots but the bigger patches, black and white, and same shape overall; of course, your preference is for your dog, as it should be
particulates
what’s in the air
beside air
beside oxygen and nitrogen
argon
and the rest that has been there
for ages
with additions of smoke
in time
and then smog
radioactivity
changing art appreciation
and
the health of lungs
and such
other chemicals by now
plus plastic
parts
parts per million I suppose to measure
we breathe in bad things by us
belying the cartoon
version
of
artificial respiration
out with the bad air
in with the good
now
out with the bad air
in with badder
why we pollute ourselves
should be
a global conundrum
of
some
well
great urgency
we breathe through filters
helped by machines and when it’s worse
through
masks
we drink water from our plastic
metal bottles
we think we are immune
I guess
some of us
I guess
while failing to track for everyone
since
everyone’s affected
the work of all
societies
that measure and by measure
warn
the rates of cancer
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photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash
“Los Angeles, CA, USA”
(another preachy poem, and I could be sorry, but this one came to mind and word by my experience)
the final Earthly war
perhaps
the final war
waged
now
shall be
tyranny versus democracy
and
who’s to win
should be sure
and
maybe isn’t
not
because war must be exciting
fighting the eldritch side
like
Darth Vader should
be fun
like a matinee
rather
because the sides aren’t equal
and the wrong side
material
become insubstantial
yet with what real weapons
real fighters
shall go
down
until the proper victory is called
the villains skitter
off
toward hell
the winners build a present and a future
by
and for us all
and this is the abstract
of the visceral
truth
of it
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photo by Sebastian Schuster on Unsplash
“diverging motorway from underneath”
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