the awful now
when
get me out of here
but
keep me here
I’m waiting
trying through small resources to
have something
build something both liked and approved
approved
and
liked
am I not deserving of the least
or
least of least
negative least
as it
were
not for virtue in the first place
or virtue after rescue
from sin
raised
up
from having fallen
be good
or bad and might I have something
anyway
for being here
for
trying
failing
like
she persisting
c l couch
photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
God loves change and what remains
and what of God
today
but that God is God
eternal
and unchanging
except in changing
too
since dynamic
as dynamic
seems to be a part of nearly
everything
except
a constant will
and not
to mention perfect love
so we could accept the changes
though we might
have
favorite seasons
c l couch
photo by Venti Views at Unsplash
storied redemption
speak comfort
to me
Jacob
I have none to give
the time for comfort’s learning
past
if there ever had been any
even encouragement
to grow
and I could be sorry
but your
redemption’s on the line
three ghosts
and all your ghosts
to name
or nameless live in childhood
the present
and
best guesses toward the future
have substance
psychological sharp edges
while
it’s the drama of the story to find out
and what
to do
upon discovery
and what if we’re not rich
to take the town to lunch
on
Christmas day
what if the miserly that’s opened
can only loosen a new attitude
resolution
without gold-backing
will
the family take us
and we hope
so to be
taken
giving and receiving what we may and
all around
whatever day to say
as
a Dickens Christmas day
c l couch
photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash
By Numbers
Some of you
I think
Have had
The new year’s moment
Already
And are into the new number
The rest of us
Shall follow in fireworks
And maybe smaller flames
Inside
Not resolutions
Though they’re formal
But
In some craziness of growth
Some of which
Goes
Yes
Formally
As far as cells
E.g.
Might grow
As far as they might grow
Though sometimes cells are crazy
Too
There are classes
Too
And levels of promotions
And stages of development
(uncrazy)
And then the things that happen
We might make
To happen
Or shall take place
Anyway
To change us
To challenge us
In all of these
To grow
So happy new number
Sun-
Counters
Though some liturgically
Have started weeks
Ago
While others will have their first
Numbers
At yet
Other times
But let’s wish well
All
The beginnings with
“Well”
Meaning a tiny pledge
Perhaps
To help
C L Couch
Photo by Sichen Xiang on Unsplash
Child No More
The end of childhood
Clarke tells us
In a story
It’s about evolution
And we change
We develop
And someday with help
Maybe
Dramatically
Or drastically
We’ll grow beyond our knowing
Into something
New
And sometimes what is new is
Frightening
At the least it’s
Inconvenient
Packing up old things
Sometimes
Unpacking
The new things or
Waiting
For delivery
Depending on who’s helping us
Depending on resources
That maybe have arrived as
New capacities
Already
New
Ways
Of seeing things
Of understanding
Goodness
It’s a sci-fi story
After all
Speculation into future
Possibilities
I guess we have to grow
We can’t stay still on
Earth
Forever
It’s doesn’t work that way
For even Earth
Will change
And we won’t stay
We can’t
The Earth and us
Are changing now
C L Couch
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
Photo by K8 on Unsplash
n. b.
Which doesn’t
Mean
We destroy the Earth
While we’re
Here
The cosmos will not welcome us
This way
And those who think to
Hurry Armageddon
Are close to a lunacy
Of strategy
And should be walking back
Any notions
Of playing God
Or playing
God
New Season
I saw them
Being in the north
I saw them
First changing trees
Of autumn
Ferns
Can ferns be trees
But they were tall
Along the road
Telling me
With any passerby
That the new season
Is arriving
That as
Far as we’re concerned
Is here
C L Couch
Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash
Montage
(well, a little one)
[haiku]
a blossomed morning
so many beautiful things
Juneteenth celebrates
Time Like
An ever-rolling stream
That
If we’re walking
We cannot step in
Twice
The same experience
Same water
But a new thing
Every time
So said
The pre-Socratic
For a thing
To teach
A lesson in
Immutability
And that there is none
While the water
Rolls
And we approach it
For whatever reason
Not for
The same thing
Every time
Change is natural
Therefore
Whether by the
Evolution water
We prepare
To swim
Or hand up our lyres
We might know
And like the health
Of a source
That’s moving
And meaning
Altogether
Change
With unchange
C L Couch
(Heraclitus and a hymn and a psalm and, you know, hopefully some inspiration)
Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash
Forest River & Waterfall
shall we gather
The Pastor’s Last Sunday
I will miss him
Miss his preaching
Frankly
Which is affirming
Reasonable
And good
Though she will be arriving
Actually
Has been her for a while
So they could consult
Past and present
Which is good
As well
Things change
They must
We have some count of
Three score and ten
After all
And we age
And there’s a time decided
When we step away
Into what might be
A formless new
Retire
Or Retry
And some part of the present
Must reform
As in
Add something new
C L Couch
For “Pastor Denny” (Reverend Doctor Dennis Keller)
Photo by David Weber on Unsplash
Count and Serve the Days
(for Martin Luther King, Junior, Day)
Four score
And fifteen years ago
A person was brought forth
Into the human world
To change that world
His clothing
As he wore them
When grown-up
Are on display
At least they were
Last time I was in Atlanta
So that we could see them
See he was a person
Not a giant
Not bearing metal armor
Though he had a strength
And for a while a protection
While others felt
Stronger and protected
With him
He was a pastor
He was named for
The first Protestant reformer
And he took steps
And got many
To take steps
To change things
That too many folk
Believed
Could not be changed
And he took on
The attitude
That not changing things
Was good
For the society
(a part)
That believed
The dominance arising
From not changing
Kept things good
Even though
Things were not so good
Protests
Marches
Covering details
With rides
And meals
The words that encourage
That could not always
Be counted on
For softness
For the wrongness to change
Was hard
And difficult
And broke many lives upon it
So strength was needed
Out of prison
Out of reason
In all persuasion
For all
Of humanity
That
Yes
It was time to dream
It was also time to move
Through the world we have
The time we have
To make things
Better
Make things fair
For everyone
Uncommitted to an evil way
Because everyone
(everyone else)
Deserves a voice
And to be heard
And everyone
Should have a turn
In which there is
Justice
And through which
Should there be an opportunity
To live
To grow
To believe
To vote
To be busy in one’s work
And delight in play
He served the faith
He served the people whom he knew
As well as
So many strangers
Finally
The human world
Out of Selma
Out of Birmingham
Our of Montgomery
With his family
That goes on
And his
Many
Many
Friends
And acquaintances
I cannot help but think
About the night he spent
In jail
As have spent
So many believers
And protesters
And did he surrender
For this
And all barriers
Set up to siege his conscience
And his hope
Seems not
For out of that experience
And all such similar
Experiences
He dreamed
He wrote
He shared his thoughts
Before
During
And after
So that there was a cause
And a cause
Articulated
We have those words now
We have the pledge to change
To take it
Or leave down
But it is there
And
You know
For everyone
For the famous
And the not-so
Most of us who do
Only small things
But change the day
And altogether
Change the world
Because
You know
Change is endemic
It is human
It is spiritual
If need be
We have our aging cells
To prove it
If change
Then change
For the better
Starting
With the smaller
Hearing the larger
And supporting
As we hear
His words
As with progenitors
Successors
Happy Birthday
Martin Luther King
Junior
On fifteen January
Starting in 1929
And for the ages
And even
For
Into
Eternity
C L Couch
Martin Luther King Day is tomorrow, 15 January 2024
Photo by Frederic Bourbeau on Unsplash
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