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extension

(x = space)

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extension

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hostages for days

days for hostages

and let the buses in

that have fuel

for hospitals

and food for everyone

and will there be selection

in the heart

and maybe by practice

who knows

the news and books might

tell us

but for now this

cessation means

there’s life again

without the breaths between

explosions

x

let the math run

the refugees

the witnesses

wear black

as they can

when talking

with the rest of us

a message to the west

of us

who might see black

in our own way

in understanding theirs

ours

all

x

emphasis mine

x

black for mourning

to be clear

black for normalcy

as well

in understanding ours

theirs

(decide who they are)

all

then

all of us

x

who need the chance

by the way

and maybe often

to exchange our stones

for bread

to trade what has been bestowed

for grace

or simple decency

on all sides

of the Earth

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c l couch

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Matthew 7:9-11

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photo by Matthias Speicher on Unsplash

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Talking and Walking

(x = space)

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Talking and Walking

x

Now talk to God

At last

Waiting

With all respect

Withholding judgment

‘Til we’ve had a word

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This is right

And this is wrong

And I guess

I knew that

Though not always

The particulars

x

Who can see

All consequences

x

And I have other questions

That I mean

Less rhetorical

x

How do I do it all

How do I bring it home

Really

How do I live free will

And obey things

All together

x

How do I think

And love

How do I formulate

A plan for life

Then wait for its

Dissolution

x

How do I say

This is good

And this is not

When complex understanding

Mixes everything

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How do I live

In this old world

The human part

That has such hate

And hides its greed

Inside an

Annihilative plan

That is at work

So far from me

With those who have

Stolen the riches

Of the planet

And seek to dupe

All malleable

And thinking people

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Where is the love

Inside the hate

And how do I live

With both

x

That is

How do I live with who I am

Who I was made

Like everyone

To be

And to be

Well

Me

x

How I live

Lord

I do not know

Too many exits

Or rest stops on the way

They are inviting

Too many paths

It seems

Narrow and wide

And in-between

x

Which way

x

The world is too complex

For the simplicity of love

And faith

Maybe of hope

As well

x

I clang my cymbal

Except I don’t

I live in quiet

Desperation

Sometimes

With the age

Also frustration

Remaking tiny parts

Of my world

To say

That’s better

There is hope for the rest

x

And is there

x

The world made by you

We are in your image

To look like

Dare I ask

To act like you

x

Are our actions

Part of our likeness

In your image

x

We make things

I guess

We destroy them

Too

And you have ordered things

Destroyed

x

Nothing lasts that we make

And is it practice

Then

As in

This all being a rehearsal

For the real show

That is

The real experience

To come

x

I should add question marks

For grammar

Though there are so many

Plus implied

And beyond me

And I think you know

Where are the pauses

Where I do take a breath

Before the next

Thing

That I wonder

You are patient

Except when you’re impatient

x

Well

Maybe love is complex

Too

Or maybe its simplicity

Weaves through the complex

Showing a tapestry

In wisdom

Or in time

Your time

For all to know

x

Who knows

While we live

And wait on Earth

What secrets

You might keep

Or is there a real truth

That you keep none

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Love and faith and hope

There are precedents

And these might be lasting

One link into another

Through the ages

And tomorrow

And in next moments

After this

Amen

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C L Couch

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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King Ralph

(x = space)

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King Ralph

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Bittersweet remembrance

As we have

Of all

Remembrance

This of my dog

Our dog

The family dog

From years ago

I used to take him

To the creek

Way out back

Behind the neighborhood

I’d let him run

Through rocks and water

(all was shallow)

He was free

And yet he stayed

With me

There was an incident

With some cows

Imagine the same patched colors

On the bovines

And himself

But came back

Under the fence

And through the water

And the rocks

Once again

But tempers reigned

Among the humans

And I left

I did not see Ralph again

Getting old and sick

As we do

Weighed down by disappointments

Maybe

As we have

Yet I remember liveliness

The chain leash upon the hook

(irony

for freedom)

That I pulled

Only a little

And from wherever

Ralph came running

Knowing it was time

To go out

And run some more

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C L Couch

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Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash

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in a glorious church

(x = space)

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in a glorious church

x

look at you

Jesus

on such an ornate cross

we don’t truck

with indignity

or even

execution

you’re still alive

up there

though as you die

you die for us

x

rude cross

more like it

wooden beams

thick branches

off the trees

of the Earth

we say the nails were iron

ongoing execution business

for a smith

with earthly metals

coal to burn

or pieces of wood

cut off

shaved off

something like the matter

of a cross

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c l couch

x

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Photo by Michael Newcomb on Unsplash

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I don’t mean to be a spoilsport about faith and faith art; I do think spiritual simplicity might be important

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Since we built the church, there were pewter candlesticks upon the altar; Francis Nurse made them, y’know, and a sweeter hand never touched the metal. But Parris came, and for twenty weeks he preached nothin’ but golden candlesticks until he had them. I labor the earth from dawn of day to blink of night, and I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows – it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin’ houses.

John Proctor

The Crucible

Act 2

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Plain

(x = space)

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Plain

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Sigh

It’s Friday morning

We’re told

The heat is crested

So low 90s today

Which still is hard

For those of us

From here

Above equators

(there are two

you know

tell Ecuador)

And the tropic lines

x

We’ll breathe into Saturday

Be grateful

When it rains

Maybe too much

But they will break

The drought

As well

x

And these are

My

And our

Issues

Over here

How is it where you are

How is your health

And your family

How is your neighborhood

And any community wider

You are

Or must be part of

x

I am perforce

American

Though America is huge

And we tend to take the name

And then apply it

To one part

x

You are French

Or Nigerian

Or Indian

Chinese

From idealized Tibet

From Ukraine

From Russia

x

You might be from the South

Or the Northwest

Or the Northeast

Maybe all the way up

(we say)

To Maine

Maybe you know

Or encounter at the supermarket

Stephen King

x

These are places

In the USA

In France

You have

The Côte d’Azur

In Greece

Santorini for an island

(that might have been the home

of Atlantis)

In Egypt

The upper Nile

Into Ethiopia

That was Nubia

In China

There’s the Gobi

The severest place on Earth

x

And there are the people

We are people

There

x

Inhabitants of the world

The team of Earth

One people

Now we’re leaving it

And shall need identity

x

Should we live in peace

Appreciating our diversity

All

The shapes and sizes

In our making

And our choosing

The lives we have

That is

The lives we make

x

And we should make them well

And have the freedom

To do so

Too direct

Too easy

Maybe

x

But too bad to be good

Sometimes it’s easy

Put it down

The weapons

And the prejudice

Evil conditioning

Perhaps

Somewhere inside

Take up something better

Food to share

Safe water

The love of life

You know

That someone else

A group perhaps

Might need

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C L Couch

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Photo by Yuriy Bogdanov on Unsplash

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But I Couldn’t Wait

(x = space)

x

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But I Couldn’t Wait

x

What do you need today

And shall you have a good day

Well

I hope so

Our heatwave indicates

It’s peaked

And now is rolling slowly

In a gradual decline

With something like a cold front

Following

Bless the Gulf

Bless Canada

x

It is September

Not so much left

To the year

But there shall be autumn

First

The colors in the east

First in the north

Wind and rain

Shall be cool

And cold

Clouds might roll over

In long banks

Enormous curves of gray

And of walking under

Layers

While trees are beautiful

School buses are bright yellow

A somberness arrives

As that season finishes

And sentinels

The next

When much of nature

Shall be sleeping for a while

x

Those days are off

A while

It’s very hot today

The sky conflicted

Between blue and clouds

The kind of clouds

That augur the last of warmth

In rain

For summer

x

The Lord watch over you today

Even better than at Mizpah

Which I was taught

Was mostly civil

Might we do better

With agendas

And without them

May we simply listen

And respond because we’re kind

Allowing ourselves to be suspended

In belief

And the tension

Of knowing

How it is with you

Because we want you well

Honestly

With more

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Trif Razvan on Unsplash

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Kg

(x = space)

x

x

Kg

x

Everyone has

Secrets

I suppose

Given time

I have mine

They feel lonely

Though I imagine

There are always

Other people

At least

The other ones

Affected

x

But it feels lonely

All the same

And even though

They might

Go back

They feel aged

As if I could only

Have such things

When I

Am old

Or as any

Age this way

With more time

For wondering

x

The circumstances

Have passed

Mostly long ago

And that’s something

Maybe an ingredient

For

A recipe

For eating isolation

x

Enticed

To tell

Is an easier thing

To forego

Some weariness

In life

Makes it so

x

That I

Don’t want to

Realize the energy

And

All the pain up high

Again

And then

As it drops through

Me

x

Maybe

Rolling then

Sliding

To the deep and

As you know

The darker parts

Of Freudian-

Or Jungian-

Chemicaled water

To push through

Or tread

In bouts

For endurance

Again

x

I will say this

That

When reminded

What I carry

That I could lose

All secrets

In the light

And lose

All these

Damnable burdens

Sounds pretty good

Sounds pretty

Light

x

C L Couch

x

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Photo by Frank Zhang on Unsplash

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The Flying Mouse

(x = space)

x

x

The Flying Mouse

x

It’s supposed to be

Hot today

The next two days better

Maybe I’ll stay in the dark

Enjoy the cool

If only the idea

Of shadows

x

Why do bats like

The night?

Clearer for navigation?

The flying mouse

(the fledermaus)

Small and fast

They startle us

Though I doubt

Each other

x

We should be on

The side of bats

Peer mammals

Who eat lesser (sorry)

Things

We would more rather

Not have around

And so be less infested

Thank you

Stellaluna

x

It’s supposed to be hot

Today

I’ll think I’ll stay inside

In the dark

Light up this screen alone

In bouts

To keep some strain

Off my eyes

The ones that see

The ears that hear

That taste

You know

The doctrine

Taste and see

x

They have wings

And are we jealous?

I hope not

It’s not their fault

And they fly

With small glories

To the Lord

x

C L Couch

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Stellaluna (moonstar?) is a story by Janell Cannon.

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Photo by René Riegal on Unsplash

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I started out begrudgingly, more of an exercise.  Then as I got into it, I liked it more.  I enjoyed drafting and revising this.  And I like the image from Australia.  You, of course, don’t have to like any of it.  I’ll still think highly of you.

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Heartfelt

(x = space)

x

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Heartfelt

x

I haven’t slept

My computer wants to update

I won’t let it

I don’t want that now

I want to sleep

The sun is rising

I can see the V from here

(the angle

in the tree)

x

Words

Thoughts

Fears

Then turn it off

And try again to sleep

I can’t do anything today

No appointments

Only analgesics

Lack of sleep

And eating when I rise

Each time

Which sounds like fun

And passes time

But is stupid

Really

x

I’ve had this diagnostic guess

That the insomnia

Is made worse

By indigestion

Not to mention sinus problems

And

You know

Having a heart that functions

Normally for someone

Twenty years older than I am

x

Sigh

Rest

Better food

At better times

Maybe Mediterranean

Easy exercise

In pleasant ambient air

And the air at night

To move and not move

In optimal

Waves and bouts

x

Who else has these diagnostics

Who else is going through this

There is no

Lone wolf in nature

I need my pack

Something for the herd instinct

Foraging

With accountability

x

Lord

Don’t leave me alone

Company for misery

If no more

x

C L Couch

x

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Photo by Linda Kazares on Unsplash

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