altar call
we can’t approach
without
some sibling feeling worked out
so
we’re told
like Erev
before perhaps
the
Yom Kippur
and yet how empty be the churches if
chancels must wait
for
close conflict
or
the like
must be worked out first
before we resuming
carrying
a church-gift
say
our tithe
though many of us
chance
and
to confess
to keep the gift and moving
toward
the worship center
where
the convicting love of God
does not dwell more
but
knowing our score feels
more
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Mattew 5:23-24 (or consider other prodigal narratives)
Photo by Martijn Veldhuizen on Unsplash
in the big inning
in Jewish and in Christian
lores
there are creation stories told
more than once
and in parts
many times
even Jesus
said to be there
calling the beginning of the essences
become
reality
and there are stories of us
and how we came to be
and way
made one perhaps
made two
without doubt
a sin of consumption
followed by
what might be more a problem of
division
then to rationalize mistakes and so
prescribe the direction
they must follow
all three
all four
for God had made that rock
that God could not
move
because like biased gravity
God’s will
must be mediated
by God’s will
that is leant by God’s
love
in love
and in joy’s promise
all was made by God and to the host
and to the cosmos
and to us
and after all the dreadful plan must work
there is like
Pandora
one thing left
the second thing of tripartite
things
being faith
and love
and to fix the world
is hope
say
faith the reason
love the means
hope
the vision
as in why bother in the first place
and this is lore
and this is
myth
and we interpret as we guess
from our experience
and there are many stories
we should read and respect them all
to know
beginnings
explain the present
situations
and
(via
hope)
respect the promise of the future
that
tells us how to believe
and think
and act
respecting all traditions
in their dovetailing
and as they work out
to reveal in time
(both
ways)
the first and final reasons
revelations
n.b.
and
yes
I know that you might want
to say that God’s not part of this
no more
and we are on our own
and maybe always
eschewing partnership
as if Michelangelo should have no faith
and the lone
wolf
an honest perception
though it’s not
wolves living together
monogamous
in families
that
despite the isolation earnestly
perspective
there is more joining than a separation
more
that are joined
than all the pages of betrayal attempt
to testify
and
the main message that
we’re on our own
we’re not
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photo by Shishir Iyer on Unsplash
an invoking
o youth
attend
for time is brief
and you will be surprised sometime
at the passing of the years
attend
because you should keep learning
and applying
principles to causes
that are good
that are healthy
and that serve
attend
to love
of yourself
though especially to others
to those you know
of course
and sometimes to the stranger
given it is a time of tissued trust
and you thicker
senses and responsibilities
attend
to share what’s good
to keep
to give
to hold something in reserve
in case the war goes on
with greed
even with evil
(other evils)
o youth
attend
and live
please live
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photo by Rebecca Peterson-Hall on Unsplash
Candles in October
(my paraphrase)
more
(for which Oliver might ask)
more love
more
peace
I’d trade my gold
my medals
pins
and keys for this
for these
a lesson of age
or
Ozymandias
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(“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
photo by Brands&People on Unsplash
bounty
give us
this day
so
let’s start
with that
and then the daily bread
to ask
then
the asking of
forgiveness that is
the gift
or mercy
plus
asking to be delivered from
where
we might have
been
by trap
even the trap of will
and let God’s be the realm of power
glory
we may not understand
and forever
that
we cannot understand
not yet
though we have will as well as need
to pray the day
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get, give as given
photo by Tamara Gak on Unsplash
Quality of Day
We have the day
Is all
It seems
And it can be good
Or bad
Or
Like as not
Indifferent
But
If a day
It is a day that God has
Given
And toward gratitude
Behooving
Except on evil days
We think
When
Gratitude is due
But God must have understanding
For even the virtuous
To rail
Then after
Maybe during
All
The cries
When thinking to leave or
To have left
And if left
To be a delight
Upon
Returning
Maybe a prodigal
Maybe a simpler turning
To
Have come back
Then still
To have the day and in
One way or another
Have
Share
Maybe share joy
And
Thus
If in a small contributing way
The next
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Photo by Paul Csogi on Unsplash
Questions and Answers
(easier than we admit)
God
It’s your day
As if there were a day
That was not yours
You know
Having made all of it
To call it
Day
Though we added names in time
And all of these do not agree
But
Maker of them
Anyway
And we should owe you something
For that
And you do have directives
Even as
The prophet asks on
Our behalf
What you might require
Might
Though really tell us must
Like the commandments from
The mountain
And yet
We take as options
Like
Speed limits in my culture or
Widespread fidelity in marriage
Having made
Knowing vows
And
Maybe vows
At all
You tell us to walk humbly
Carry justice and
Mercy
With us
Not because they’re easy but because
They’re necessary for
The health
And even happiness of the world
Of us
And someday
Penultimately perhaps
We’ll get it
And in time to express
And to practice
For
Impending judgment
Yes
But also for the sake
Of its own value
And the preference this walking gives
Toward
Living well
And having a whole world
(before the
last)
Of us
Micah 6:8
C L Couch
Photo by Julian Gentile on Unsplash
a weather and a faith report (2 poems)
weatherized
so the snow falls
or something
falls
sometimes it’s hard to tell
and so to turn
the street is sounding
well
squishy outside
and all the shapes are white
though I can’t
tell
for sure
which means sleet
I guess
or freezing rain and I’m not sure
the difference
contrary weather so far
this winter
as I think
sleet
(or freezing rain)
is rain or snow that will not
make up its mind
which is
all right except a kind
of misery to be out
in
Saturday if church
we believe
we don’t believe
sometimes in the same person
often
in the same
in fact
I could say me
I could say
you
not
to judge or estimate
except to claim humanity
faithful
faithless
in each of us
temptations
evil as in the prayer
flaws as will worked out
or not
in Eden
a choice
then maybe an affiliation
lightly or heavily
to wear
and yet perhaps
not so much
a burden
as to worry through the seasons
we’re all right
with
the pleasure of peace
in life
also the joy
of
fun that God has made
we well
and heavenward we
Amish-like hope that we
move in
even assured
in faith
errors
are not sins
unless they are designed as
such
but sins we make
and
do not have to mean the end
but like mis-steps we
somehow mean
and can get over
can get up
can get help to lift
resume
the road again
pleasure
peace
joy
fun
resume again as they should
forgiven
redeemed
having gone first
admittedly
so we believe
we don’t believe
but
it ain’t over
Mister Berra
‘til it’s
over
and if gain
and re-gain the faith
it ain’t never over
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photo by Jodie Walton on Unsplash
a poem for a prayer, a poem of a real story with (by me) a made-up lyric
first light
God
I ask again
for steps out of the pit
for evil to be vanquished
(the
antique word)
if only enough for
daylight enough when a
last step is taken
and
even gray daylight
for a shadowed kind of existence
might
be reached
good
enough
evil down enough
to raise me up
with all good comrades
here
(good perhaps another antique
word)
enough
if once street-level
we might
if
we may
talk with you some
more
the time when Seamus Heaney had to write something
(based on a story he told us)
she said
on arriving at the party
to find that
everyone had brought a gift
to the poet
well
go upstairs and write something
and then
I suppose he read
to us
what we had written
for the family
and in particular the baby
as in
you are born
and now you are named
you have been christened and so
liturgically
official
and we glad to know
what
to call you
for first your parents have decided
though
the law of nicknames might
apply
welcome
baby
from the mind of God
into the world
earthly and when things are allied
celestial
(Heaney visited the school, not yet a Nobel laureate)
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photo by Tony Litvyak on Unsplash
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