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West Newton Township in my county

(x = space)

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West Newton Township in my county

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a child has died

been killed

by accident

we trust

train tracks

speed and mass

of the bulk

that must move upon

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and my heart is hurt

and is not yours

it is

I know

the child is ours

our cosmic possession

we must return

to God

from a faulty Earth

with misdirected people

on it

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would that we say

and more than say

the child

must be safe

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no blame around

but all around

this is a sad equality

and now

inclusion

for the mourning

and resolve

to keep our children better

so they go to God

at

the proper time

that God would rather

allow

say

in ninety years

or so

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c l couch

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Cumberland County village mourns child killed in mid-morning train accident

WALNUT BOTTOM – Tragedy struck this little village in western Cumberland County Thursday when a Norfolk Southern freight train struck and killed a 15-month-old boy who’d wandered onto the tracks that pass by the rear of his family’s backyard.

The boy was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival by ambulance at UPMC Carlisle Hospital.

Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall declared the case an accidental death, but said an autopsy will be conducted next week to confirm a precise cause of death. Pennsylvania State Police said they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The boy’s identity was not immediately released by authorities, but neighbors and acquaintances of the family said he was the youngest of four children.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/cumberland-county-village-mourns-child-killed-in-mid-morning-train-accident/ar-AA1laB6Y

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photo by Andrew Karn on Unsplash

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3

two more brief poems today

(x = space)

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two more brief poems today

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Black Branches

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The squirrel ran criss-cross

Up the branches

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Zig-zag ladder

I certainly had not noticed

Upon

Looking out

Into the dark-grey day

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The squirrel’s smart

Good legs

The tail helps

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And the creature’s

Totally

Impulsively involved with nature

To be so in tune

With all vibrations

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Must be astounding

To have so much

Ordinary

Magic

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8 to try

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Hanukkah tonight

starts

8 days for a miracle

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what if

we try this for our

universal selves

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8 days for peace

before they arrive

that is

something

outside ourselves

to judge

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pretend

there is a deadline

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find out

how far we get

then let it stay

for real

beyond 8

you know

as long as we can

or may

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8 and more

as if the world

were at stake

which

you know

it is

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Photo by Mila Tovar on Unsplash

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C L Couch

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A Gift from Western Asia to the World

(x = space)

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A Gift from Western Asia to the World

(on the day of Saint Nicholas)

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God

It’s dark

The light is coming

Like Immanuel

Who’s here

And always coming

To the call of the season

Advent

After all

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Like the advent of the airplane

Or hybrid roses

Bred intentionally

Everywhere

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For good or ill

We co-invent new things

And yet in a dark street

Like my own

With one light for company

You came into

The world

Seemingly deserted

Certainly bereft

Of a savior

Who would match divinity

With barbarism

To save us

All barbarians

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Who knew nothing

Of an inner life

With you

Except by accident

Of prophets

And some other heroes

So that we knew of virtue

And your name

Beyond your name

But in a real way

To have such things

Well

We were lost

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And in that town

Razed and rebuilt

So many times

Under one light

You came

Nicene

Human and

Divine

To bridge the damnable gap

That we had built

Through consequence

Of sin for will

And simply keeping

Only

To our side

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To bring us over

Come to us first

As at the first

There was creation

And now

Reconciliation

For the one-sided

Who remain

Lost that way

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And shall you give by grace

To every generation

Hope in each one born

Offered many times

In each one’s

Life

To appreciate what’s on the other side

Of you

And us

To model the walking over

Four ourselves

And for our children

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And shall we call this grace

Of something else

It is the same

The offer of salvation

Through bridge-building

In the flesh

Of your child

The child that’s you

And us

Somehow

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The advent

And the miracle

On arrival

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Such wonder

Such bliss

A reality

In the making

That the world needs

And typically doesn’t know

Until we meet you

And teach us

All about the bridge

Live on both sides

At last

And then offering

By will

To take us to the middle

And we both

Also with steps of our own

Pass to the other side

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All of which to say

Merry Christmas

Maybe we’ll see you

In this room

At this place

On Earth

And everywhere

And at the bridge

The most

Extraordinary gift

You are

For us

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C L Couch

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Photo by Darya Tryfanava on Unsplash

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1

Story Us

(x = space)

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Story Us

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Fairytale

Castles

While the reality is

The plumbing’s bad

And certain walls

Are falling

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A tower remains

That the wizard uses

To live inside

While keeping magic from

The rest

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We are on our own

Who dwell in stories

To learn

To plan

To find our allies

And to stack against betrayal

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With what wisdom

We might gain

(maybe there is

a library

with unmolded volumes

even waiting)

And gold to find

From earth

Or from

Negotiating

Fairy folk

Outside

Who know the treasures

Of the world

And keep the access

Well

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Riddles

Reminders

Priorities

Cautions

And cares

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A final chapter

Next to last

Comes first

In which we learn to cast

Spells from the past and

Something new

Plus teach our dragons

To light up

The fires that we want

In better places

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A battle

Maybe skirmishes

For if smart

There won’t be melee

And the knights

Find better ways

To show off

Service

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While heroes

Without armor

And with blades

Of wit

Shall better solve

And save

The castle

And the day

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C L Couch

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Photo by FPVmat A on Unsplash

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or does it hurt to ask

(x = space)

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or does it hurt to ask

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I wrote a lot this morning

was it worth it

all of it

should I ask

it was something

something to choose from

or I’ll have to write some more

something timely

and to share

we’ll see

I shouldn’t ask

but rather keep going

using up electrons

paying for energy

electrically

and bodily

electric bodily

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c l couch

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photo by taner ardalı on Unsplash

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Ransom

(x = space)

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x

Ransom

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And is it Advent

Yes

It is

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Starts today

Blue or purple

For your liturgy

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Time to remember

That he came

A human

To the Earth

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Vital for doctrine

Afterward

Though mainly as a child

We remember now

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To pause

To ask

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What child

Is this

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C L Couch

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Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

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currentcy

(x = space)

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currentcy

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the war resumes

and other things have happened

Sandra Day O’Connor

news of fires

and a shooting

in my area

(we have both uncommonly

as if

ordinary)

but the war

and the war

and the skirmishes

quite literally

in other places

and the slayings

in the spirits

whose only perpetrator

is the hate

becoming means

as we wish our strangers

and our neighbors

nothing good

for our own pain

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and does hate laugh

above the world

while agents

of itself

are storming down

and shall the doves of peace

protest blow

while human agencies

get soaked

act on the rain

whose wind is somehow hot

ignoring what persists

upon the branches

the cooing of

a softened sadness

unbittered

calling still

for peace

upon the earth

we walk upon

we hate upon

below

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c l couch

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Photo by Freysteinn G. Jonsson on Unsplash

as far as

as near as

a dove can convict

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blue face (impromptu prompt)

blue face

look at the blue face
do we ever get that close
and the feathers for a crown
as peacocks have
too
this is an impressive bird
no wonder Franklin wanted it
rather than eagles
for a nation’s emblem

c l couch

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #244

this was my response to Grace’s response to the prompt she received from Melissa’s blog (whew); Grace suggested I send it along to Melissa’s blog via posting it here (whew)

Grace’s work, https://graceofthesun.com/gobble-gobble/?sn=c&c=76158#comment-76158

thanks, Grace! thanks, Melissa!—Christopher

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

(the photo here is not the prompt; please use the link above, that is, from Melissa’s blog; read Grace’s response as well because it’s enthused and endearing)

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In a Few Days

(x = space)

x

x

In a Few Days

(Hanukkah)

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It’s Friday

Lord

The start of

Sabbath

And in a few days

Hanukkah

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I’ll be ready

‘Cause

It will happen

Anyway

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Eight days

Of oil

Matching need

With miracle

Inside

The recleaned

Temple home

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Where we are home

Once a week

Once a life

Next year in Jerusalem

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We will have

Our meals

Our chocolates

And our gifts

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We will be stressed

And yet

All shall go well

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While we remember

Everything

It took

And takes

To have us here

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Hard-fought

Hard-won

Keeping festivals

And seasons

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C L Couch

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Photo by Robert Zunikoff on Unsplash

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