while day might be over soon
the sun is setting
on the winter day
and I
have yet
anything to have said
to you
be well
I could say
(and hardly be original)
and is possible
insofar as you are able
be better
not
to win
or for a prize
excepts its own
ask for help
if you need it
and I daresay ask where and
when
you might get
it
negotiating perhaps
to give
as well to receive
(and
yes
I know the one
is better than the other
but they both exist and sometimes
should interplay
better
and keep better and maybe
for others you know
who
need the better
you
can provide
be well
then
be better
aim for good seasons
all around as
may
be done
night is arriving here
have a good night
day or night
where
you might be
friend
c l couch
photo by Aurélien Lemasson-Théobald on Unsplash
[actually, I’ve written you a lot; this is the last thing]
No Amens Required
(prayers, devotions for occasions)
reach
thank you
God
for today
as it is
in these smooth hours
even before
everything gets difficult
again
Say
God
What shall we say that you
Provide
And is the cost
Belief
Or does
Grace mean
That everything is
Free
And
Do you love us
Anyway
And
Do you love the ones we know
Are evil
Or merely corrupted
Even in their prosperity
Good
And
Evil
We may not think on these
We might
Instead
By getting by
Or
Trying to
And could we
Ask
We’d only ask for this
And leave the larger matters
Maybe
Well
Maybe
Up to you
Sorry a Tired Prayer
(if not fed-up)
Lord
You made me this say
And the world
And my own
Mistakes
I guess
And I don’t know
Not that I wouldn’t own
But what should I
Own
And what is the fault of
Something else
And
I don’t know
Except
I’m tired of the way things are
Thinking
Peace
Would be preferred
Even over love
For an ambition
Even
A dream from which a plan
To get me
There
A confession
Maybe
An asking
Without doubt
Because
I hope
At least
You’ll do it
Grant me what I need
I don’t mean to ask it
As a wish
Before a genie
Having
Shined a
Lamp
You are not Loki or the
Raven
And yet
Christ might inherit all the qualities
Of
Fools
Which might mean tricksters
And
Who knows
Maybe the world is a trick
From which we wake
Or which is
Ours
To change
And yet
Sigh
Maybe I have some peace
Maybe too old
In age of spirit
Too
Exhausted to
Ask for
More
And yet I’ll pledge
To take
My part in it somehow
shall I say to you
(even daring to assure)
what shall I say to you today
dear
reader
responder
to hang on
or to glory in prosperity
(the second maybe
I don’t need
to
emphasize)
but God smile on you
anew
if it seems not ongoing
be with you
and love you through everything
the easy
and the strong
that seems against
you
the stable
if it’s good
or that which shatters
we must believe
because
it must
God be with you through it all
and God is
C L Couch
Photo by Dmytro Bayer on Unsplash
The Warmth of Light
(light about light)
Am I done
I mean for now and
Not
Tomorrow
The brilliant light behind
Me
Through the window
Keeps on shining
Making
Dust-exposed squares upon
The floor
Which is fine
Against
A social expectation
Light is yellow
It is gold
It is precious as we say
Of gold
Against the grayness of
The winter
And too many days
That do not shine
At all
Until
Maybe toward sunset
When sunlight shall slide beneath
The line of clouds
Before
The night
To make a light-prized
If late
Day of it
More usual
Winter’s day
Rather today and
In
These parts
We have a gift
In part
Because the buildings
Aren’t so tall
And
Well
Because I’m looking at it
Even warmed a bit
By a ray
And you might be looking
And be warmed
Should the winter-light ironic
Be good
In your
Current situation
Otherwise if
Far
Far
South
(not
so-far polar south)
Seek a/c
While some might think
Too
Light on light
To write about
Though
Maybe the proof is in
To read
About
And
I don’t know
Maybe feel all right
After
C L Couch
Photo by Nadine Marfurt on Unsplash
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Negotiating for Green Earth
We had the snow
Walls of white on branches
Black
And while birds
And scittering critters
Went elsewhere or stayed in something
Still
And warm
I hope
By nature’s acumen and skill
Even before it all began
And I’d send the snow out west
To the fires
If I could
Surrendering the romance
So that the practical
Might have more means
Material
With which to end
The blazes
Then start patrolling of
Embers
C L Couch
Photo by Filippos Sdralias on Unsplash
The Consequences of the Day
(a just meal)
Everyone has
Such
An awful
Legacy to bear
Everyone
And in this
The colors run as indictment
Course
Through us
All
Anger everywhere
Too easy to lap
Up
And never were we dogs
(for
dogs are dogs)
Where is the justice of
The clean and swept
Not
Swept away
But cleaned as on which
We dance
And set up tables
Share the food
We brought and
Also
Made there
Plenty
The notion of plenty is
Assembled
And once and now again
All
Are welcome
To it
Now this would be a day and
Night
For all to come
To sing of
Our thanksgiving
And how we’ll share a world
To have a world
C L Couch
Photo by Ethan Currier on Unsplash
(column of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C, USA)
The View You Know
Sun
Out front
Only afternoon out
Back
Both struggle
Not with each other
But
With gray
Black buildings
Black
Branches
Inside
Things are grayed as well
I could be reminded of ethical
Situations
But
It’s not school
I am
Nonplussed
Could use some learning to apply
To like
The gray
Maybe draw gray things
Try not
To think in gray
Until a situation might arise
Appreciate gray shadows
In the day
A gift
Close my eyes
Appreciate the fiery black inside
While I
Nap
Which seems
A gray thing to do
Maybe
I could try
To smell
Gray
To taste
As if from the air
To touch one of gray’s shadows
To listen
To
The words from gray
‘Cause
I could be missing out
On
A gray gospel
C L Couch
Photo by Henry & Co. on Unsplash
“In That Silent Mood” [given image title]
lyrics on a day that’s cold and cold at least in the MidAtlantic
Suburban Wait
Winter light’s
Too bright
For cleaning deeply
Finally
Dispiriting
The leaning light
Shows everything we’ll never get
To or
Even want
To get around to
Those dust-bunnies shall
Keep their warrens
After all
While we wait
For the easy lighting
To clean by
Which
Will happen
You know
Spring
Roll
Roll in the hay
Roll out the barrel
Mister
Yankovic
Roll on home
Now
There might be rolls
For dinner
Rolled oats
Though I don’t know what
These are
Roll the dice
Roll to win
Field Work
God
You love us
Anyway
Which is remarkable
Not inexcusably
But
Unconditionally
Which splices doctrine
Maybe
But you can handle that
And so
Should we
The field of the Lord is vast
There are no mines
No
Not ever
Only living things
Mythic plants
That spring back as we pass over
Them
So that everyone may have
The chance
To pilgrim
Toward
What’s next
Possessive Tense
The dogs of God
The cats
The bunnies
Too
The aardvarks
And the platypus too silly
Some
Might think
The insects
Too
There might be reasons
For mosquitoes
What is tall
What is
Low
What is brief
What has long life
On Earth
The Earth is the Lord’s
Too
A place on which to keep
The complex
Living things
And
Well
Among these
Us
Use Words
(as you are able)
I love you
Honestly
I know
(since I’m in me)
You love me
I think I know
Not quite as
Whose woods are these
I know
(not with the same divine
assurance
frankly)
So you might have to say
From time to time
Though if you
Always do
(flawed occasions notwithstanding)
Then
Maybe not so much to say
But
Sorry
Still
To say
C L Couch
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost (cited)
Photo by Kevin Cress on Unsplash
my practiced cat sleeps
gilt by sun on the mattress
she meows to bless
c l couch
photo by Anna Karapetian on Unsplash
[not my cat, though my cat also gave the don’t-mess-with-the-cat look—this cat, by the way, is from Ukraine]
the question of this evening
(responding to “Now the Day Is Over”)
evening draws nigh
the old song
imposes
for the song becomes
well
rather maudlin
melancholy
minimally
there is a prayer
and that’s fine
for Jesus to keep us through
the night
but
some will ignore
all this prayer
to fire up
the evening hours
instead
so lie low tonight
or charge
the time there is
to pub
and such
though morning comes
and with it
some responsibility
unless
retirement
has taken over
as an age
or
attitude
and then
what then
a song of peace
results in consternation
for there is much to figure out
by night
by day
rebellion
indifference
extremes cut through
by rest
c l couch
(the song often sung in my college chapel Sunday night—here, sorry, the assurance questioned
Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening
Steal across the sky.
verse 1)
photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
“Sometimes you just have to look up.”
(caption given)
clcouch123 
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