in the news today
I know there’s what’s happening
in the world
to make
it real
enough honestly to take part
gather in
share stories
help
and ask for help
for all those who are not us and yet
we share the world
like fog when manifest
presume it’s
always
manifest
moves through and by its need
relates us all by exigence
an element and need
of circumstance
whatever we enact within
one
form of consequence
the other
love or hate
war or peace
to share
and by that
all of us
by what is bad
or we might surprise good
either way
act
or result by what happens
what we happen
bind
and by are bound by
fate sometimes it’s
said
better by the love of world even
at war
at home or in trenches
actually to share
it all
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could be the final poem of the evening (in a reading)
photo by Bank Phrom on Unsplash
“Print Is Alive” (given caption)
(the image was for another but then co-wrought the following)
choose the moon
lasso it first
only
George to Mary
while
the rest of us must find it first
the moon
and how to capture it
or
leave it go and choose to go with it
as it should fly through sky
and
we walk the horizon
to follow its way until morning and then at last
we shall know
what
to do
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photo by Steve Busch on Unsplash
we are grateful for
what we have and what we use
true the First People
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photo by Kevin Crosby on Unsplash
Bear Lodge, mistranslated as Devil’s Tower
the drama
we are born of the Earth
breathed through
with
divine exhalation
we rise
one and then the other
we are introduced and given tasks
care for the
garden
name things or else we did that
on our own
but meet with God
all the time
and live the spirit in the mean time
and somehow Satan or
the devil
or whatever you might call it
was
allowed in and allowed a role
maybe for the first
time
this was the start of the revellion
the devil trusted
as archangel
only for
a little while
longer and what damage it could
do before caught out
and such ruination happened
it seems we blamed each other more
than the writhing thing
though
the demon part in our exitence
should carry on and taken
through to the midst of Armageddon
when
as prophecy decided
and yet played out
there is a final battle between
Michael and
itself
when it is thrown for good
out of sight
only to dwell in God’s mind over lost
creation
and lost love
while our redemption is at hand
to do our part
believe
accept the grace of mercy
as
a fitness for heaven
and
the Earth renewed
who knows
maybe for us
to have the home we’ve had as
the home that was made
except
for evil’s and
for will’s intrusion following
the evil
as well as inventing our own
now
the Earth anew
as on another world the ideal might be
ancient
but now for us and for all the days
succeeding
move forward with everything that’s good we have
and
love our lives in every way
each other and by mercy
means of grace
return to the communion that was the way
even the style
of Eden
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photo by Boudhayan Bardhan on Unsplash
getting up
how soon do we become aware of things
and how
and why
the beauty of the day
silence upon waking
stretching on
our own
or because we’ve seen others do it
rise
with enough sense to rise
the wildness of dreams
subside
settle into
enough transition
to
realize we’re here
and assemble where is here
and what
should we be
doing
now
into consciousness
and the world might lead us first
into it
traffic noise
anxiety from what rooted
before sleep
maybe a long before
tasks
to accomplish
subjects for counselors
whatever
might be going through
when all aspects and talents need take over
one part by another
in groups or altogether
we came to life
the mystery
as
well as the amazement
into today
and the hours as we unfold them
into
all the moments we might
try
to plan and
what shall happen
anyway
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more existential than I meant—it was more simply a pretty day at first, now grayed over
photo by Ashlee Marie on Unsplash
“Heavenly Blue” morning glory
Oxdrift, Kenora, Unorganized, Canada
final question
what shall we say
briefly
of salvation
that it’s for everyone
everyone
as
John 3:17 affirms in an impressive
way
not Christians alone
and
Christians might not make it
There being no carte blanche
no
market cornered on salvation with us
any more than
saving grace
is ours to give
because
it isn’t
done and given by God
alone
and to whomever
feeling preachy
‘cause it’s
Sunday
I suppose
I mean it is
Sunday
no suppose that and what might
explain my pedantry on
spiritual matters other days
but
well
it is
and shall I say then
if
spiritual that
God loves you
and
however I might do badly or well
I love you
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photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
“Heart in the Woods”
justified
well
it’s the way I feel
reminders of
what’s
wrong with me
and
by what I’ve done
in the world that doesn’t help
at all
save by distraction
rather than by what we want
justice to face
it
and with mercy to re-shape the wrong
into what’s bearable
with
some good feeling after
and to have the day and hope for the day
following
then is
disclosure proper or what’s called for
anyway
to say
and then to hear
as if
well
a dare at openness
the truth-or-dare at parties
on one’s own
on a Friday
how
to play
more so how to win
though sometimes
rather often
really
how to endure everything
as
Clint might way
the good
the bad
the bestial
the thing that gets inside
to goad what’s
there
to threaten to take over
in ugly context
should we
resist
and so hot on our own
we do the sin
all
thoughts of moralizing after
the
denial or
the judgment
to reveal while in the process all
deliverers shall hide
their
own
mercy all around
then
to wish and like a miracle
receive
call
it forgiveness
call it grace as means to save
to choose again believe
in the confusion of not knowing what
to face
by judgment now
deserved
with the challenge now of owning
undeclared
as in unformal righteousness
that
may endure and how to begin
if with a priest or other
confessor
maybe hope
to God
directly
then
a friend
and then on one’s own
like
after services
more so on this occasion
the most
of the time in which
to live
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photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
to offer to go through it
and how much does the mood affect the day
and it’s the other
way
around
how much the day affects the mood
we wake into something
after all
the attitude
the realities we carry
then
come new hours and could be restful
though we’ll apply
our contemporary value of
busyness
to show our worth and get our pay
could
be another day
that might require countercultural
even
a resistance
one by one and could be
a movement
call
it faith
or church
to grow
that creation is profit enough
Blake’s energy as
eternal
delight
electric belief through spirit
with believe in what and who is made
and
consider smallest with
the occasional huge
way to love
as God is love
and
yes
there are the hard parts
the world sometimes is not only vain but
tries what it decides
must be
the time to kill
another’s
spirit
take a life
call the war a victory costing many
for the few
much
for a little
same time to raise
sacrifice
as
service
for the soldier
for
the parent
and the children all around
as all are children
in
a learning state
and so inexorably to grow and change
if
not stopped
short
and transfer students go
to God
but here for us here
we
make our choices
study maybe and instinctively
apply
speed citations
fearsome courts
war crimes
loneliness
failure
even to breathe less
so to have yet
want
to have
and having’s good
it’s the bending to change into
unrecognizable
except
as
satiation
even though God invented pleasure
and offers joy
and
yes
by faith
that’s all
well
not all
but believe in God and live by love
understanding and applying
that
love is practical
and strong
and makes mistakes
and can open to repentance and
to making up
with
everyone
involved
which might lift prayer
as a resource when something’s unreachable
and
yet some repair
required
somehow
which is love
too
strong and practical
available at no cost
whomever
on Earth might say there’s cost
beyond
grace provided everywhere
and
always
and our own will and energy invested
God is love
we should believe
and try love
too
there
that’s it or enough for now
for
now
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[all the nows counting and piling toward eternity]
“Energy is eternal delight.” Attributed aphorism (if not axiom), William Blake.
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Santiago, Chile
my friend’s surgery was “good” (friend’s word); now he’s recovering, the recovery being complex and uncomfortable
thank you for prayers and good thoughts; any such that could be offered or given toward recovery would be really appreciated—Christopher
2 poems that deal in prayer
what we ask
I sin
and God is with me
loving me
though not approving
I don’t think
I ask the psalmist’s ask
and will receive
not
because I’m David
or a prophet or
a choirmaster for the court
but because
I ask
and God is love
(say from Psalm 51)
in prayer
and
do we get what we ask
gee
I don’t know
though if I had to guess I’d
say
the answer’s yes
yes
we do
all
right
unless we ask for evil
or we make evil
sinful good
and so deceive ourselves and then
beseech
but
you know
God’s rather smart
having
invented smart
and though God’s old
there’s nothing feeble to typify
as
sometimes we stay keen
all the way through
and God
stay keen forever
having
invented keen
as well and also I believe that God
is
yes
old
but also as young
as young as now
so about asking
and
what we ask for tends to be good
which might
surprise
and so
we’ll get that
we will get
the good
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photo by Luise and Nic on Unsplash
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