the poet-friend
I heard it from a poet
once
that there was no following
because
grace was dispensed
by
those who claimed authority
to give it
and
by their terms
I’m imagining a water-cooler with
a foreign hand on
the tap
a line that goes away
from
there of those to drink
who
are bestowed with an upside-down
triangle of a cup
inside
of which are stips of official
pardon and
toward
the price of another metaphor
a ticket
to
the show
while grace if free
and
has no agency but God
if I may say
three parts to
one
with grace soaring everywhere
and everywhere it’s
needed
to cover and to heal as
that song-balm
the sin-
sick soul
and why not fly by music
of
the spheres
an angel chorus to announce
and
to remind us
freely given is the love and salvation
of the Lord
and
is the vision made
the poetry
perverse
and I don’t know but that it’s better than
the tyranny of will that despots
try
and yet prohibited by better will
and inside each
of us
a part
as if to fuse with our own
elements
our spirits to
save
grace
angels
our own will
and we are saved
if
against the world
and
those disillusioned and me
angered in
their
favor for who dispenses
grace
and blessing but
the Lord
and not the red
and black
the gold of breaking majesty
while
what we have
on our own
even alone if need be
faith
and love
forever
freely
grace like justice flowing
even better
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photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
love God
out of love
things happen
things
are made
by hate
destruction
agenda of a nothingness pervades
since
hate can’t build a thing
except for stone
of an illusion
love
then
closer to God
closer to substance
if
without which
material
any sense of material
goes empty
choosing faith
then
by belief and so response
to invitations
at least
two of these to start
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photo by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash
resignation
there might be a good kind
God
where are you
I mean
in the flesh
please
in the God
or whatever form you take
to bring your presence
to us
to talk with us as you talked in the garden
or if a bush of
fire
is needed
well
the unconsuming kind doesn’t burn anything else
does it
I guess I’m asking
and we could talk
and if I deal
with abject
terror
I might remember that you talked this way
in a garden
with a naked couple
who were unashamed
and
I know a great deal has
happened
since then
but
God
I’d really like to know you
I’d really like to have
you know
a real conversation
my needs
well
they feel sharp today
and
you know there are problems elsewhere
too
and if we talked
and you gave me directions
then
I’d know how
to follow
though
I don’t how to build an ark
or lead anyone through any kind of
desert
but then
the orders you gave were new
to Noah
and
to Moses
or Deborah or Judith
who lived by calling and by prayer
and maybe found one through the other
which
I guess
means
something
for disembodies prayer
and
I so wanted to say
the books
the formal worship
aren’t enough
and
they’re not
but openness to ask and then to listen
or to listen to myself then ask
of you
I guess these could be enough
they would be like talking
like a conversation
after
all
sigh
all right
I’ll try
and though I could not wrestle with an angel
maybe
we could talk a little plainer
time to time
and I won’t ask for garden miracles
though
in the clouds or something
I could guess at least
in
something of
your presence
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photo by Alistair MacRobert on Unsplash
delight by angels
(on and in a wintry day in the Northeast of here)
God
and
do your angels like the snow
do they runnel along branches
covered
are the trees
and they
make snow-themselves
upon the ground
or
do they slide through nebulae
on a break from
helping in the birth of stars
and
then to mourn the passing
of those
dying
even if there’s balance in the energy
and mass
you know
of
star-stuff
do angels delight
and
I so deeply hope they do
for
all their service
over eons
between Earth and heaven
and the war besides
which
they endured
genderless or genderful
they know
the universe
in
which they work by assignments
and I hope
on their own to play
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photograph by Klim Musalimov at Unsplash
kairos in chronos
God is here
Immanuel
with us
we give seasons to
the coming and
arrival
which is fine for giving color
and collective
things to do
but the coming and arriving
and the leaving and
returning
all
are with us
which we might have better understand
when we were forebears
and the child
be
in the painting with all others wearing
dress of the time
the child depicted with all the miracles as well as
soteriology
provding
child
grown-up
teacher
crucified
and
God
and aren’t they all together all the eras
all the ages
that we own on our own
plus
forever thinking
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photo by Maegan Martin on Unsplash
racially speaking
the world
is of races
and is racist
now
how did we pull that off
I suppose because
we approach another people
ready
to take power
and impose it
as if
power were ours
and not lent from God
and for God’s judgment
later
I approach another color
and see
fascination
then
I hear it
but who am I
naïve
I guess
to find a thrill in meeting someone else
who clearly is not me
while racially I’m fine with me
but
I know my race and color
and here is someone who’s not me
whole
land’s worth
in fact
and isn’t that
terrific
and clearly as a world
we have not come
to feel that way
common
ancestry notwithstanding
and
could we not apply our art and science
our proclivities toward vision
our skills in
observation
with reception of each other based
on vision
sure
(and sure)
observation
goodness
there are stories
folks
of folks
and should that not be
grand occupation
that’s races
anyway
next
time maybe taking up religion
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I was looking for an image to accompany a verse on Gaza and, based on my selection, was shown all sorts of pictures of all sorts of people—the theme the site selected between them all was water—and the diversity, of the parts of our planet as well, got me thinking
photo by Dibakar Roy on Unsplash
rich
(not Buddy though the music’s cool)
if I can’t
know God’s will
though I ask
then
maybe it’s not that I should give up
asking but
that I should change the asking
its parameters
per se
to know that God is there and hearing
and speaking as God might
in large and infinitesimal ways
and
I don’t get it
Well
I don’t
and can ask pardon for my not being attuned
but still wanting to serve
like Merton’s famous prayer
I guess
about not know direction but hoping
that a willingness to travel by approval
might
bring approval
even pleasure
from the Lord who
then
might speak if Thomas and I and all
who aren’t in synch
might go
not recklessly
since
we have our codes and liturgies
for attending and asking
best we can
formally
and then to stay in dialogue
the spirit of it
anyway
to say
like Tevye
maybe
that and to indicate at first
that it’s okay to talk
to ask
to guess and to complain
even to posit
being wealthy people
though wealth is relative by kind
and
degree and following
and maybe
wealth is having daughters and a village
on the edge
and
rich to have our lives in love and faith
you know
by God
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Thomas Merton’s well-known prayer begins: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe the desire to please You does in fact please You. . . .”
Buddy Rich was a famous, fantastic drummer.
photo by Vitalii Khodzinskyi on Unsplash
a freeing prayer
honestly
for
today by yesterday
and with a hope against
tomorrow
I can’t breathe
and
I can breathe poorly
while I hope you might regenerate
inhale
and exhale
by nature and by spirit
and
how all might work together
toward a happiness
from you
and then like angels
seek and take
our
earnest assignments
open
anywhere
and so
plea
prayer
toward affirmation that we’re made and that
we’re sent like missions
in love
inside
outside
growing
to reconnoiter
(Joshua and Caleb)
then
to service
fixing
a breaking world
by action understood
and
or
by stillness of hearts
amen
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(I’m afraid the state of my poor breathing is both earthly and spiritual; maybe you in the world with me have your ongoing challenges, labors from challenges as well)
photograph by Josh Applegate via Unsplash
unbelieving Sunday best
I
think I should go
I have some coffee
to ready me
chemically
and maybe throw enough together
there is hot water
with some handsoap
nearby
and clothes
that should pass muster
one
more time
and so acceptably for an hour or so
then
back to exile
and the loneliness
but have had the hour
for faith and companionship
while keep
the faith
let go of the rest
as illusion
I
belong
enough to hope to find
other
than I the healthy
perfect you
and
if unbeknownst
you could leave with me
then
who knows
sometimes I could enter
faith and love
not needing to believe in these
or
that they are for you
yet also
me
coda
sip the coffee then
ten minutes to get ready
ten to get there
eight
and eight
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photo by Creab ThePolymath on Unsplash
Accra
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