12 February 2024
today is
Lincoln’s birthday
as I recall
most years
uncongealed
from the
single
Presidents Day
and
yes
ten days from now
is Washington’s
Lincoln was
from Kentucky
as was I
though much taller
when he grew
much taller
about everything
adding that hat
for greater
height
he split rails
the kind for fences
I believe
maybe to be ready for
a fenced-in nation
he took us
through the worst
making mistakes
I’m sure
and losing children
maybe
tens of thousands
of these
whose names
might as well have been
Edward
William
Thomas who went by
Tad
the ones who died then
and the others
later on
as
a tragic legacy
and in two days we’ll celebrate
romantic love
which has me recall
the story of
how Lincoln first encountered
Mary Todd
saying he’d like to dance
with her
in the worst way
and then
proceeding to prove that
and she endured
poorly
as the war happened
and then
once it was over
she lost her family
viscerally
terribly
one child remained
as company
for her
remaining days
the President would turn
215 today
which means
he wouldn’t
but in remembrance
where his years
as in heritage
are eternal
he made mistakes
I’m sure
but he was whom
we needed
for splitting fences
in and of
themselves
the biggest
worst metaphors
barriers
having been made
by slavery
with other interests
from the states
that having been decided
in a sibling war
could turn out be
the U.S.A.
a single entity
imperfect
but so far indivisible
again
c l couch
photo by Ron Graham on Unsplash
The Sea of Galilee
(that also goes by other names)
I’ve heard it preached:
a storm on Galilee
that must be something else
to see,
to hear,
to feel,
to smell,
to taste.
To wonder about
disciples
living fear
about the squall,
waking Jesus
for salvation,
Don’t you care?
Yes,
I care
that you are saved
(to paraphrase).
And then
Christ
commands the storm
on the water,
in the sky,
maybe at the shore
to be quiet.
And it’s quiet
over Galilee.
C L Couch
the preacher preached this morning about this sea, though anything I say above is of my own accord, especially anything doctrinally incorrect
Photo by Sylvain Brison on Unsplash
Sea of Galilee
The Dragon Year
Would you like
To make friends with a dragon?
Flying with it
Perched somehow
Between its wings?
The thing is
Well,
The thing is
It’s a dragon
It’s big
It’s long
It has scales
It’s powerful
With wings
And claws
And when it chooses
Exhaling fire
An aircraft carrier
In the ocean
Between islands
Might let
The dragon land
While sailors worry about
This temporary
Guest
And those in planes
Might worry,
Too,
About what’s flying
Next to them
That waves with wings
While the sun
Blinks off its armor
And its talons
But mostly
It is a matter of
What’s really inside
The dragon
As in
What are its intentions?
What is it plan?
Dragons are powerful
But it’s the good
Or bad
We might have
To know
Before deciding
How close
And is it possible
To be a friend with it
Maybe if it’s lying down,
You could move
Closer to its head
To talk
Maybe to have
Its name
And give it yours
And ask,
Well,
What are its plans?
Maybe it’s here
For a year on Earth
Before
Going on to other worlds
Maybe some
That are replete with flying serpents
Maybe one world that is
Its first home
Maybe
While it’s here
It will
Teach us about power
That it is neither
Good
Nor
Bad
But we must make it so
We must decide
And it will not make us choose
But sort of
Sit and stand
And fly, of course,
To show that power
Is immense
Sometimes
And sometimes
It will be there
Sitting
Standing
Flying
Ready for us
To be good
Or bad
With it
So that
Enormous questions
For the answers
Might be ours
As in
What are our intentions?
What are our plans?
And so we have this dragon
To consider
Maybe
Maybe to ride upon
As well
If we can negotiate
The wonder
And also,
Well,
To think about the dragons
We have made:
Our larger things
And all
That we can do
With these
While we have this special year
With our magic,
Divine
Visitor
That might protect
Even defend us
Should we learn the language
And the manner
In dealing with dragons
Like this dragons
Or the dragons
We must own
Now and
Once it’s left us for
Another year
And more,
That is,
Eleven more
During which with
All the more enormous
Creatures
Of our own
We’ll be creaturing
C L Couch
Photo by Michael Buillerey on Unsplash
Binondo, Manila, Philippines
day without asking
day without asking
unsaid what is borne by hours
twenty-foured season
C L Couch
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash
to my cybernetic and my fleshly family
my computer's burning up
as with fever
meaning there's no fire
far as I know
except maybe
on the inside
as happens
signaled by devices
on our foreheads
or elsewhere
the machine is old
I guess
in the way
machines like this
get old
though my senses
as a hobbit
and a Luddite
get confused
but last night
like the theatre after hours
my machine
went dark
in something like
an impulse toward survival
I imagine
it came back
and might endure
in spates
of time
and functionality
perhaps
in the mean time
(like the theatre)
I might have to go dark
myself
here
and also there
not that the world won't change
because of all
good things that might be
happening
because of you
thank you
be well
following seas
I'll be in touch
as I can
(not may
this time
depending on my own
battery life)
until with
a new device
I guess
then
returning shall be more or less
indefinite
not undefinite
like certain questions
that some of our work
intentionally
proposes
Christopher
photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
(and blue's my favorite color, sigh)
Pen Pal
It’s a bright day
Here
If it sticks
It will the first one
That we’ve had
In a while
I’m tired
Slept poorly
I had coffee with friends
Last night
Which most likely
Kept me up
Though it was good
Coffee
And how is it
Where you are
Just now
More importantly
How are you
I’d
Like to know
More important
Than
The weather
Without doubt
Though
You know
The weather
Has been an easy
Entry
(and
entre nous)
Into conversation
Except
Maybe
Anymore
With changing climate
Then
Who knows
Who’s affected
By
What happens
Climatic
Anymore
So would you
Mind
Telling me
How you are doing
And how safe
In any way
You are
Just now
Sincerely yours
C L Couch
Photo by NOAA on Unsplash
it is Wear Red Day
locally
it is a “Heart” day
I am told
(with all the viewers)
wear red
remember
who’s researching
how to live with
all the troubles
that might happen
to this muscle
also
standing
(symbolizing)
for so much
National Wear Red Day
especially for women
who tend to go unidentified
as victims
of heart trouble
the day
this day
is also the centennial
of the American Heart Association
so much research
so much funding
for research
and also teaching
learning how often
this might happen to women
inside women
(yes
inside men
and don’t I know)
but the symptoms
can go differently
so differently
and she
and those for she
should know
identify
and react so fast
when these might happen
to her
red day
we are red
today
and red means oxygen
which all bodies
should take in
to nourish all our parts
with freedom
though when impeded
we need
red help
the symbol
raising money
and awareness
and our hopes
starting here
with her
with him
then to the world
with all the hearts
heart-lives
out there
out here
c l couch
(and, yes, it’s been the time for Imbolc and Candlemas and Saint Brigid and the groundhog did not see his (Phil’s) shadow—and these mean more than we may know for how we observe and take part in our seasons and also all our days
but women suffer from not only heart disease but from lack of awareness of symptoms and then what to do
while heart disease kills all of us more than any other reason such as cancer or crime)
photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
prismatic day
what if racial
were delightful
what if I
delighted
found deep pleasure
meeting you
or passing you
and
exhaling
with deep pleasure
such an
interesting world
I know
I know
this nation
for example
started in
a backward
human way
since owning people
is reverse
of what God wanted
what God made
if only
in Africa and Europe
and then here
we had
I don’t know
let it go the other way
reasonably
let Blacks own whites
upon the block
at auction-time
and in the fallow
fields
needing crops
I know
I know
those made
and make
an even Biblical
argument for ownership
maybe for skin color
too
and white-righteousness
but I think we could
we could
agree
agree
that in the present context
of the way we live
today
today
such major points
made of minor insinuations
are wrong
at least wrong-headed
and frankly
evil
to have practiced
and to practice
now
I don’t know
call me a lover
I have had
my encounters
as have you
if you have
the world is the world
I guess
and we should take it
as it is
but never
never
leave it there
the unjust parts
the evil parts
the sinful
we have long ways to go
long ways
before we like each other
in the meeting of each other
superficially
then there’s the depth
of skin
beneath the skin
to plumb
in our knowing
of each other
there are the other differences
too
that cause disruption
disequality
disliking
so far to hating
ultra-hating
in some parts of us
here and there
(and sometimes there
is huge)
while these are the very things
for liking
for the difference
for how we are
and we contribute
differently
so much a fearful world
and there are fear-mongers
who profit
from the fear
who delight
wickedly
from the control
the very thing that’s good
turned bad
for perception
for agenda
hiding behind
(not underneath)
the skin
also
the skin of things
so much fear
so much fear
and fear turns into hatred
turns into anger
turns into righteous crime
as rationale
for hurting
for robbing
and for stealing
and a plan
an expectation
to get away with it
for righteousness
God
is righteous
we
are not
and in my doctrine
God as Christ
had to die for this
to open up our
pretended righteousness
to life anew
having surrendered that
while in your doctrine
God is also good
and God is
great
or there is no God
and still you wouldn’t justify
the taking
and the killing
for another’s difference
which could
and should
add to yours
meaning there is reason
as well as doctrine
for the liking
of each other
out of
foundational love
in the creation
and the molecules
of everything
which makes love deep
and practical
and liking
at least good for style
and really so much more
for meeting
and transaction
in the world
so shall
we give the world a chance
maybe as is
as well as it should be
colorful
shapeful
a myriad like prisms
in spectrographs
a miracle
perhaps
but a real delight
as in the taste of
good food
and good company
though there is
the matter of need
though there is
the matter of need
and shall we say
that matters
for deliberation
more importantly
for practice
it could make for
a separate economy
if need
here’s an economy for need
here’s the economy
for money
stocks
commodities
and bonds
the need is filled
on its own
with those devoted to that
the rest might be
for profit
as it is
(though I’d prefer
less life-sucking
if not less
murderous)
so that
we have a world
that might drink and eat
have shelter
and the chance for learning
which would make us
better
less war-like
having less need
for war
an argument
for economy
and peace
and the meeting of each other
in better forums
and
to say the least
more promising
you know
I have been sorry
say I’m sorry
every day
and in sorry
there might be change
maybe stepping toward
contrition
repentance
compassion
(then)
and empathy
like listening
like listening
there are skills
to learn
and a world to see
or without seeing
hear
and more than senses
have some feeling
for a world
that is our world
really
without destroying it
our world
c l couch
today begins Black History Month (the inspiration)
photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
let’s say a year
a year
let’s say a year
a year of peace on Earth
to try
then come back
in a year
to talk about
how it went
how it goes
we might learn
say
that war
is bad for the economy
though the bullet-
and missile-
manufacturers
might disagree
we mean learn
that keeping up
our homes
is better
when our homes
are actually
up
we might enjoy
green spaces
beneath unimpeded
blue
or we might
work so very hard
on the other things
that worry
us
(like wool)
and sometimes destroy us
parts of us
all of us
we might make safer airplanes
and what goes
on the road
we might go
on the roads ourselves
to seek a peaceful journey
match the tone
of the time
set down what we
hear and see and smell and taste
and touch
set something down
to share
via the summit
later
we might learn
that we like this state
and that we like
this place
this way
we might go for
another year
or let explode
all things behind the barriers
that could explode
explode
and go to war
in small
destroying ways
like infiltrating
toadstools
or have an armageddon
between nations
letting in
militias
and weaponed gangs
as well
and fight officially
or with a sense
of random
‘til it all be done
except
it’s never done
or
as was said
we could go for
a second year
of peace
and in that time
upbuild
the rest
but for now
how about
a year
let’s go for a year
c l couch
photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash
clcouch123 
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