whose to know
I know you
as I
(existentially)
might know that goes
from
much to nearly
anonymous
as I don’t know you
and so
don’t know
what’s
healthy for you except generally
and to an extent
doctrinally
I hardly know
myself
it seems
and all the parts inside that work
well or that are inclined
yet
to rebel
not in
appreciable or creative ways
and so who am I to say
except I wish
for
wellness
I pray for healing of my niece
as I might know you
I pray
and encourage you to pray less blankly
more fully
(knowingly)
for what others and elsewhere need
also
you
and I guess that’s it
let’s pray
and might we know there’s power
in that
intercession
as well as
self-directed
if
could be with the proviso that
faith
hope
and love show up
by prayer
and anyway
and are willing to remain
first
two
the third especially goes nowhere
if all
imperfectly through us
and
perfectly from the one we know
and seek to know
even
through evidence unseen
yet
so believe
to ask
c l couch
(1 Corinthians 13:13, Hebrews 11:1)
photograph by Christina Ioannidou at Unsplash
Chamaemelum nobile.
Corinth, Greece
a Tuesday to try to be with God
(sorry while it’s long)
so about you
Lord
and may I call you
Lord
though you are nameless
or all names
somehow
and how do I know you unseen
evidence
unseen
the mystics knew
I guess
and Doctors of the Church
or
anyone who wrote enough or was
recorded
so they say
and
so we know
and
does this work
of
sayings
little flowers
to
go through entire books
and maybe so
maybe
we know you through these pages
or could it
be
unworded
leaves in forests
because nature
may testify as well
yet
by disaster
we might ask as well
the punishments
of fire
or of quakes or magma from
eruptions
how or what
what might we might learn
of you
and your intentions on this Earth
that
you have made
and yet
if we kept our distance
measured well
and
kept our visits seasonal
I don’t know
I guess
we’d still have problems
and to wonder
over
cynicism learned
or is
there hope on Earth and by
catastrophes
we
learn readiness and response
Earthly
for each other
all sides of gospel then
like sides
of nature whispering
or
shouting
yet
all this
not enough to know
you
and why bother through our limitations
limitations over
you about
your
nature and your presence
and yet we love you
and we think
go as far as to testify
that you
love us
and
maybe have a plan for each
though needing elasticity
as we respond
this way or
that
by choices
since
we understand
that will and freedom should
be ours
and maybe that is
so
that is
your flexible designs so we may select for
real
somehow and yet by you
we decide and
you
affirm ahead of
time
and ready to receive us
as you are God
yet you are God
why bother
waiting for us
but
then why have us
anyway
why make us when creation seemed
so perfect in the story
and then we get here
and we go too far by will
into war and other violence
much of it
close to home
ask Tamar
in the house of David
we are so easy moved by greed
also
pretense to power
since power is from you
and lent
as lent
for a time
all the things we do
we build
and then let fall
our egos drive
we develop false philosophies
movements that bring others down
with us
and may I ask
of our bodies
Lord
yes
groups
and I mean each actual
physical
skin and muscles around bones
organs
within
as they are
so strong
and so fragile
sigh
too much or too little
but there is
love
and faith
and if wisdom must allay itself before
fullness
and
perfection
well
so it is
like many things that are
and we don’t know them while
we have them
two
aspects of creation
even
of two parts of wonder
with aspects
like facets
while you are God
and I happen
to be I
and all of us
be
all of us
with
enough totality while we may wonder
in our ways
over
all the rest
until all the rest revealed
and
still might need interpretation
until you speak through angels
loud
(maybe not so loud)
and clear
c l couch
photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
how much the devil
is the devil allowed
to mess inside our heads
to stir
to unstir things inside our hearts
to turn the matter of our spirits
as it were
how much permitted
since
after all the fall
and for it
to be cursed upon the ground
crushed underheel
yet also
the raven of Job
trickster to entice the host of heaven
maybe
God
so that the drama could begin of
awful loss and faith
the playwright has the devil
Scratch
contended with by Daniel Webster
though before
there were ages with the mysteries and
miracles
renderings in which the devil was
a character
and to leap ahead
or
somewhen
there’s the battle between Michael and
Satan
the last fight with armor worn
and scales upon the dragon
and
who wins we know
with all the defeat
why should
it bother
but it does
and how deep it has been given leave
like soldiers to excuse themselves
but
here to serve a relentless campaign
to win
what
the Earth
each one of us
material
and soulful are the gains
to ally with sin and maybe with some error
to twist
the good with the inevitable
especially
while we are fallen
too
to make the worst of it
and how much
how far
to invade
how to much to niggle earthstrings
how far to take the heart
from
its own source
how bad to try to make of good
since bad is not invention
merely
merely attempting to infect the health
of who we are and
what we’ve
been given from the start
resist
and it will blee
what does that mean
and
will it sidle back
or come with force
how final is an exorcism
or is it a tussle with a horror
every day
and while humor’s on our side
it should be hard
night on defeating
to
keep going
but keep going
there is a guarantee
it’s on the page and in
the heart
as well
that we can fight and
laugh
and wait for rescue
try on faithful garments
that will last
with
pockets for
all sorts of reminders
there is God and
we are
and with advising
given all
that we are love
c l couch
photo by Karl Hedin on Unsplash
eternal delight
(Blake says this of energy)
we wake up
do things
something propels us
if only energy
it seems
though there is cause
as well
we believe if rather subconsciously
in something
in
sensation or
satiation
with or without
then
ideology
we might be moved
by more
by something seen or heard
by
interpretation of a fact
to make a fact
somehow believe
that
this is true
and reason enough to go on
and if not the reason then
the rest
might be in peril
so maybe we need more
and
something lasting
or at least holding on to chores
and to
the rest
if starting with the smallest thing
the chore
(the
regular work)
or
simply to breathe first
a reason
before purpose
and a plan
let that go deep as well as
ready on the surface
so that
we move by not saying
or
by saying
faith
in
something
to have us in the night
and keep us
in the day
(reversing that
for
third shift)
could be God
could be someone
something else
though
should be easy strong enough
to last
not in perfection
‘cause basically that’s not
us
but fixable
as we are fixable
and
we are
tissue that doesn’t tear
like the Roswell
paper
the bulwark that Luther likes
cannot be overthrown
though
by the way
and by
the book
the gates of hell cannot themselves
prevail
against faith and collective faith
the rock it’s
said
of God
by all means
prompted by energy
and
so to have it
rest
and work
and play
also let grace and faith propel
our part
belief in something
by
the way we’re made
and so could take on
the maker
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Matthew 16:18
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
photo by Eugene Golovesov on Unsplash
uncommon unsense
the prophet helps
a widow
and
when the prophet needs
ravens helps with food
making up for that business
with the ark
all the people needed food
and so food
fell
needed water
too
which poured for them
from barren places
and so
wandering the wilderness
still cannot
be comfortable
but
at least keep folk alive
meanwhile
by
basics
David thinks he needs Bathsheba
though that is
another kind of interest
not
like food and water
whatever the king might feel
he needs
as he wants
food and
drink
from her
blind
needing sight
the lame to walk
the awful sick to have some healing
that
provides a reason
there are stories
too
of prodigals repenting and returning home
of
good Samaritans while
Samaritans are not credited
so much
of parents withholding stones from children
so that giving
bread
has fulsome space as
well as love
need
and response
and
I suppose when honest
still the answer might be
no
or no
for now
frustrating how the interactions
go
in our relationship with divine
whose terms are
to
keep the evidence
of such
unseen or
otherwise unsensed
c l couch
photo by Vadym on Unsplash
Grace Fully
So believe
If you will
And only as you will
Grace
That makes faith real
Is offered freely
And
Exists regardless
Believe in God or do not
Same
With the life of faith
After and
With belief
And
Don’t let any tell you
Another person
Anyway
That he or she dispenses grace
If only you subscribe
Grace
And also faith
Don’t work
That way
The first need being only
You and God
Should you choose
And
Should you accept
Then there is the life of faith
In which you might choose
Healthy
Earthly affiliation
And while to have and keep
Sadly
It’s not
To say the faithful life is easy all the time
While
Through it all
The obstacles
Worldly
Self-styled
Do promise
Spiritually
Well
The Spirit’s ease
And even peace and joy
Be the judge of grace
And faith
To start with God or
Not
And
Don’t let any other take the judging role
Except God
And then remember God is truth
And also
God
Is love
I heard once that church should be rejected because it claims to dispense grace—and also, as such, the church charges something (membership, money, doctrinal adherence) in order to receive the grace if offers, if not dangles. But grace is not or ever owned this way. (Or owed, either.) Grace is from God, and grace is free. It is the free means to receive the saving favor of the Lord. As means or to exist at all, grace comes at no cost of ours, the price for grace, so to say, having in fact been paid by God. We are saved by faith in God. And as if faith were great art, grace is the frame.
C L Couch
Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash
“In the Park”
Kyiv, Украина
the good season that lasts
the week after
time of discipleship
like being free of Pharaoh
free
now
of similar devils
new obligations based
on old beliefs
and
now
regeneration
not an easy life
in the spirit
old and new temptations
to parry
disillusionment as
after
last Friday
until the vigil moment
Sunday
which is maybe how sometimes
faith
appears
fast like a bird
settling like
rain
a life re-breathed
a new season that in temperate climes
speaks to changing colors
and
thermometer degrees
and while these quarters will continue
the life
in the spirit
we know
now
shall not have an end
as long as we’re inclined
and others
all of us go on
face the choice
to belong
adhere
and have renewed breath
in the new time
in the gathering that is church
only people
by
its Greek definition
and goodness the soft
yoke
the easy
weighted burden
which faith allows
maybe
hopes near all traditions
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first full week of the Easter season
photo by Julia Elliot on Unsplash
tenebrous
the devil wins
today
having turned the human forces
in the world
toward
death
humiliation of what’s good
even perfect
that traditions
say
came to save us from
ongoing
serpent
temptation
the twisting of what has been made
so good
bad
grotesque
the evil these point
toward has
won
without awareness
then
of three-day’s waiting time
the good is gone
or
must hide
surrender to new nothingness
of faith
and hope
and
love
c l couch
for Good (ironic) Friday
photo by Aleksei Agafonov on Unsplash
cloudy days be good
and now there’s nothing
nothing new
renewing
and shall I say
the devil
won
and not really since
the devil is too small
and by the end
or even
now
unvictoried
if I let my spirit down
as in descent
now
that is something
and how far to go and then
to start my soul
back up
toward land and sky
again
and now the fool is mentioned
and the fool for Christ
comes
to mind
in
that the world thinks it’s wise
and admittedly
faith built on no evidence
material does
seen
nonsensical
if not Seussical
but like the cat
there’s foolish fun
especially
in
rain
(if in the house while it rains)
when clouds shall run
until the sun
return
with the typical
the good play when it’s easy-bright
and it is
and should be
but should
the rain persist wherever
some
foolish reasoning
be apt
as in have faith in the sun
find interest in the rain
believe
that both
and so many things
have
value
the better parts
supporting faith and does it go
better
the other way around
faith first
and faith below
and faith above and wherever
in
lack of transparency
we through the dark glass
choose
and live
to believe
c l couch
(with allusioning to The Cat in the Hat by Doctor Seuss, also 1 Corinthians)
photo by Damien Dufour on Unsplash
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