final question
what shall we say
briefly
of salvation
that it’s for everyone
everyone
as
John 3:17 affirms in an impressive
way
not Christians alone
and
Christians might not make it
There being no carte blanche
no
market cornered on salvation with us
any more than
saving grace
is ours to give
because
it isn’t
done and given by God
alone
and to whomever
feeling preachy
‘cause it’s
Sunday
I suppose
I mean it is
Sunday
no suppose that and what might
explain my pedantry on
spiritual matters other days
but
well
it is
and shall I say then
if
spiritual that
God loves you
and
however I might do badly or well
I love you
c l couch
photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
“Heart in the Woods”
haiku for relentless spring
the war goes on and
spring arrives the north of Earth
over all that’s gone
there’s green without doubt
spring has subsumed winter time
spring world for a while
USA times change
seasons over politics
is only green hope
pink and white the gift
Japan gave us cherry trees
Tidal Basin spring
climate change is heat
eighty degrees moderate
missing cool spring
c l couch
[well, I wrote some haiku for spring; I should have selected one poem to post, but the theme of now it’s relentless spring rather got to me; as such, altogether there’s a good deal of repetition; yet I hope you find these appreciable and hopefully enjoyable]
[giving USA three syllables by the way we pronounce it]
[it probably doesn’t matter, but I mean the verb of “moderate”]
photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash
justified
well
it’s the way I feel
reminders of
what’s
wrong with me
and
by what I’ve done
in the world that doesn’t help
at all
save by distraction
rather than by what we want
justice to face
it
and with mercy to re-shape the wrong
into what’s bearable
with
some good feeling after
and to have the day and hope for the day
following
then is
disclosure proper or what’s called for
anyway
to say
and then to hear
as if
well
a dare at openness
the truth-or-dare at parties
on one’s own
on a Friday
how
to play
more so how to win
though sometimes
rather often
really
how to endure everything
as
Clint might way
the good
the bad
the bestial
the thing that gets inside
to goad what’s
there
to threaten to take over
in ugly context
should we
resist
and so hot on our own
we do the sin
all
thoughts of moralizing after
the
denial or
the judgment
to reveal while in the process all
deliverers shall hide
their
own
mercy all around
then
to wish and like a miracle
receive
call
it forgiveness
call it grace as means to save
to choose again believe
in the confusion of not knowing what
to face
by judgment now
deserved
with the challenge now of owning
undeclared
as in unformal righteousness
that
may endure and how to begin
if with a priest or other
confessor
maybe hope
to God
directly
then
a friend
and then on one’s own
like
after services
more so on this occasion
the most
of the time in which
to live
c l couch
photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
to offer to go through it
and how much does the mood affect the day
and it’s the other
way
around
how much the day affects the mood
we wake into something
after all
the attitude
the realities we carry
then
come new hours and could be restful
though we’ll apply
our contemporary value of
busyness
to show our worth and get our pay
could
be another day
that might require countercultural
even
a resistance
one by one and could be
a movement
call
it faith
or church
to grow
that creation is profit enough
Blake’s energy as
eternal
delight
electric belief through spirit
with believe in what and who is made
and
consider smallest with
the occasional huge
way to love
as God is love
and
yes
there are the hard parts
the world sometimes is not only vain but
tries what it decides
must be
the time to kill
another’s
spirit
take a life
call the war a victory costing many
for the few
much
for a little
same time to raise
sacrifice
as
service
for the soldier
for
the parent
and the children all around
as all are children
in
a learning state
and so inexorably to grow and change
if
not stopped
short
and transfer students go
to God
but here for us here
we
make our choices
study maybe and instinctively
apply
speed citations
fearsome courts
war crimes
loneliness
failure
even to breathe less
so to have yet
want
to have
and having’s good
it’s the bending to change into
unrecognizable
except
as
satiation
even though God invented pleasure
and offers joy
and
yes
by faith
that’s all
well
not all
but believe in God and live by love
understanding and applying
that
love is practical
and strong
and makes mistakes
and can open to repentance and
to making up
with
everyone
involved
which might lift prayer
as a resource when something’s unreachable
and
yet some repair
required
somehow
which is love
too
strong and practical
available at no cost
whomever
on Earth might say there’s cost
beyond
grace provided everywhere
and
always
and our own will and energy invested
God is love
we should believe
and try love
too
there
that’s it or enough for now
for
now
c l couch
[all the nows counting and piling toward eternity]
“Energy is eternal delight.” Attributed aphorism (if not axiom), William Blake.
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Santiago, Chile
my friend’s surgery was “good” (friend’s word); now he’s recovering, the recovery being complex and uncomfortable
thank you for prayers and good thoughts; any such that could be offered or given toward recovery would be really appreciated—Christopher
2 poems that deal in prayer
what we ask
I sin
and God is with me
loving me
though not approving
I don’t think
I ask the psalmist’s ask
and will receive
not
because I’m David
or a prophet or
a choirmaster for the court
but because
I ask
and God is love
(say from Psalm 51)
in prayer
and
do we get what we ask
gee
I don’t know
though if I had to guess I’d
say
the answer’s yes
yes
we do
all
right
unless we ask for evil
or we make evil
sinful good
and so deceive ourselves and then
beseech
but
you know
God’s rather smart
having
invented smart
and though God’s old
there’s nothing feeble to typify
as
sometimes we stay keen
all the way through
and God
stay keen forever
having
invented keen
as well and also I believe that God
is
yes
old
but also as young
as young as now
so about asking
and
what we ask for tends to be good
which might
surprise
and so
we’ll get that
we will get
the good
c l couch
photo by Luise and Nic on Unsplash
I don’t how my friend is yet
cup
cup
of coffee
of Communion wine
of the cool cup of water offered
in arid need
and I don’t think the Scripture denotes
cool
but I like to think of summer
desert comfort in that way
and
which is more important
which meets
the greater need and I guess it is the wine
for sacrament
though
without the water
I think you know there is nothing for the parched
to hear
the better evangelism to meet
the Earthly need
first
and if all in prison
then
we share the words we may
out
of the well of nothingness
we share
c l couch
(c.f. the parable of the sheep and the goats, Matthew 25:31-46)
photo by Cici Hung on Unsplash
I wrote this probably too hastily yet for verse I hope it is acceptable (receivable). If you have prayers and/or good thoughts to offer, I’d like to ask them for my friend who’s having his eye operated on today. Thank you so much.
heal my friend
Monday
my friend has an operation in
a few hours
it’s on an eye
and so
will not be easy or simple
at all
as in a week or so I’ll have a procedure
that is simple replacement of
an implanted device
been
gone through
once by me
and so many times through the people with whom
I consult
his operation’s hard as
well as complex
many stages to go through
and
then an uneasy time of recovery after
all goes well
that is
the hope
of course
if all were an eye
you know
and thankfully it’s not
we’re
not
but that is metaphor for Christian duty
while his
the actual need
for sight
God help him
keep him
guide the hands that serve him
and
frankly
like asking for my niece because I don’t your will
precisely
so please heal her
please heal my friend
in
part out of
plain direct
praying
shall we ask for what’s clear and toned by
careful notes and leave
the gray notes
out
gathered by the single one who with angels
serving
knows rightly
how to play
well
everything
every song for every purpose
under
heaven
c l couch
1 Corinthians 12:17
“If all were an an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?”
photo by Murray Campbell on Unsplash
afternoon after church
it’s a gray Sunday
though white
is trying to break through
sun
to clouds
and
is it presence
seeming
God breaking through
reminding us of
incarnation
Immanuel
God
with us all the time
c l couch
photo by NASA on Unsplash
Hello, World [from NASA!] This nighttime picture of Earth was taken on April 2, 2026, by an Artemis II crew member aiming a camera through a window of the Orion spacecraft. The image was captured after Orion completed its translunar injection burn, the critical maneuver that sent the spacecraft on its path toward the Moon and back.
last of April so
I should say something to this
month of poetry
c l couch
for Poetry Month (that this has been)
photo by Clark Young on Unsplash [makes me think of Ebenezer Scrooge and maybe Bob Cratchit, while waiting for coal, penned and kept verses on the insides of his cuffs]
clcouch123 
Recent Comments