Kathy
I wrote a poem
For my sister-in-law
And then
Started to question everything
About it
That it had no heart
No real
Let alone deep
Humanity
That it didn’t address mourning
At all well
The reality
The need
The inevitability
Regardless of how we might
Believe we can reason
Things through
Not that reason has no place
But who can figure death
Each time
Or at any time
It’s a surprise
It shouldn’t happen
It always happens
This
Side of Enoch
Anyway
But we who do not walk with God
And are subsumed
At last
Must simply know that death
Is coming
Not as a person
As much as a failure
Of our systems
And it’s an actual person
Each time
Who had a life
Who had preferences
And
Dislikes
And those of us still here
Should feel for them
What we feel
Thinking
Too
Whatever we must think
Feel the loss
The pain of that
Take comfort
In the placement of heaven
After this
Or something next
However it might be described
Or named
Something is on the way
Though maybe
We mortals
Will have to rest a while
First
Our souls to be cared for
In that
Sleep restores
As we’ve known in our daily lives
In mortality
That is
In normalcy
Anyway
I’m sorry she is gone
I shall miss her
It’s not sibling pain
Perhaps
And yet
Bonds by marriage
Still hurts
To have her gone
to Beth about her sister Kathy
C L Couch
Photo by Javier Cañada on Unsplash
Comforted
for Beth
God keep us
Safe
This today
And when that doesn’t happen
Trust in you
Regardless
Knowing that the world
Is faulty
Because it seems
We must have it this way
And maybe all
The cosmos
Is fallen with us
And so
The stakes are high
In human will
So as to appear
Even
Greater than your own
Which is
Not reasonable
Though
You must arrange our will
To be so high
And seemingly
Mighty
Even to
Destroy this world
Though you
Have so many other Earths
You could
Bring along
But keep this
World
Going
Please
So that we might
Get it right
We might learn to mourn
And stop all
Human reasons
There are causes for mourning
Nature might
Forgive us
As we know that your forgiveness
Your pardon
Our salvation
Ever
Might be
In your heart
And then your hand
Extended toward
Our own
C L Couch
Matthew 5:4
Photo by Samsung Memory on Unsplash
Late Blue
Late blue
Dark green
Only the extremities
Are gilt
A corner pane
Sheer view
That is
Through sheers
Though an unmitigated
View
As far
As I could go
C L Couch
Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash
so much for a Saturday
my goodness
today is Saturday
and I was so it was Friday
then
could be time for a weekend thought
and I will find such thoughts
while I am reading you
but before
when I’m on my own with coffee
and uncertainty
what shall I say for you that indicates
a thought or at least maybe a thoughtful
intention
even like a prayer
I think that you should have a fine day
but I mean that where-
ever you are
which means impossible
for flooding and
for war
(that is a war
with nature
or in a war with each other)
you might be wounded
held hostage
you might be sick
from deprivation
that has many reasons
many sources
that the potentates impose
or it might be
the tyranny of nature
breaking forth
breaking barriers
that at last are understood to withstand
nothing
we can frame
so how can you have a fine day
against these and
maybe not
though I will wish and go so far to offer
prayer
in some confidence
regardless
this is for you
as it’s all for you
of course
while self-expression might be adequate
a motivation
expression for the other
should be
(I believe)
resulting
and so I hope for you a fine day
even grand
because despite it all on Earth
by its design
and more by our own
there is faith
and if all codes by all divinities fail
or seem to fail
there is our faith
in each other
which is the real thing in that
as I write for me
I write for you
I go for the betterment of us
while you might do the same and so
a better world
in spite of
destructive fire
by nature
or our species
the better world
sung in trite songs
but
sophisticated
(well
enough)
and real
have a fine day
and better
c l couch
photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
Teal Pumpkin
(to make the scene-y)
A week from now
(Thursday this
year)
Is
Hallowe’en
So we may get
Hallowe’en-y
Remember
To turn off your porch
For
Treats
Or be considered
(either way
most
likely)
A Hallow-meanie
Such being the culture
In the USA
Even as spirits and
Mortality
Live with each other closely
In
Such a time
As it were
Betwixt and between-y
C L Couch
Photo by Parrish Freeman on Unsplash
Teal Pumpkin Project - FoodAllergy.org
Learn how to make Halloween safer and more inclusive for kids with food allergies by offering non-food treats. Join the Teal Pumpkin Project and add your address to the map, or show …
(easy search for this)
Gradient Light
It’s late
In that
The mid-autumn sun
Sets
Much earlier
Than summer’s
I rose late
Because there was
Strange peace
In the house
Perhaps
Perhaps
And inside
Me
While it is green and blue
Still
Lit by yellow
Yet I know
The coming darkness
That hints already
Shall
Arrive
It will be night
And with some stars
Perhaps
Or that bright
Waning moon
We’ve had
These past nights
A gift
Of supernal light
From
Evening
Crafters
And a surprise
For being
Large
In the sky
The
Brightness of the Lord
Even
In waning
C L Couch
Photo by Charles Postiaux on Unsplash
Candled also Candied Hallowe’en
Not a gore-fest
Please
Which means that
Franchised
Fields of blood won’t be
For
Me
A busy
Corn-maze would be
Pleasant
If the allergies
Go
All right
And there’s my heart
That has handled
Much
Though now is broken
Medically
Still can appreciate
Orange and black
Purple
Highlights
Civil costumes
Not civil servants
So much as
Witches white
With
Courtesy
Casper ghosts
And such
And of course
Sugar
For diabetes
Notwithstanding
But let’s have some chocolate
Please
Some chocolate
If I can do
(w for m)
Samhain at all
In appreciation of tradition
Tilting with the axis
Respectfully
If
Quixotically at the
Time
Of year
Then maybe those
Better-knit
Or not
With whom I may celebrate
Or who
May celebrate with me
Going
If vicariously for
The chocolate
C L Couch
Photo by Heather Green on Unsplash
Monoprint Texture
an abstract pumpkin patch? (not really)
275
we can be
brief
without sound-bites
that are extreme
the other way
while
of course
beyond verbosity
we can punch with words
we can overwhelm instead
or more
with
reason
and with courage
they need such words in
western Carolina
Florida
in western Asis
too
and all the places
that need healing
still
they need work
we know
more than
words
though words will
give the order
as well as
keep us going
how about
few words with
power inside
with which
words invoke power
to work
to expend our better energies
say
we love you
and we’ll help you
meaning
significance
and practicality
and
we’re coming
and we’re there
with
more than wishes
alone
rather with agendas for
health
and maybe peace
upon the land
and in our
minds
and in our
hearts
and in our
souls
too much of you
has perished
lost
too much
and with few words
we’re on our way
with actions
and resources
in hope of nature’s and our own
cessation
of destruction
at least
long enough to heal
and
with God’s help
perhaps
to remain whole
on these parts
our people
of Earth
c l couch
photo by MJ Tangonan on Unsplash
Chimney Rock, North Carolina
(my family tells me Chimney Rock the town’s no longer there)
baruch
Yom Kippur
that I don’t fully understand
but that is happening
now
sunset Friday
to nightfall
Saturday
(which is today)
and this year
no doubt
there will be praying for the closeness
of God
upon the hostages
held by Hamas
and not by the Palestinian people
generally
the day is for repentance
to ask forgiveness of
the Lord
so that we might be restored
and reconciled
but something I’ve been told is that
the day before
Erev Yom Kippur
is a day for asking forgiveness
of each other
we forgive each other
and then
we may ask forgiveness of God
ten days for repentance
actually
between Rosh Hashanah and
now
the Christian doctrinal story
is about
leaving one’s gift before the altar
to go
make up with one’s sibling
(should
there be conflict)
and thus being
truly
prepared
even according to priorities
to go to
present at the altar
to have time
with the Lord
and be open to fullest forgiveness
forgive each other first
then ask
forgiveness of God
I think that’s how the teaching goes
in two traditions
maybe more
I don’t
know
I could be wrong
of course
But might God bless
the devout
on Yom Kippur
and
direct us all toward
reconciliation
c l couch
photo by Jeanne Rouillard on Unsplash
clcouch123 
Recent Comments