Theology for Anyone
Too many things
To think about
What is
Simply
Out there
Anymore
What might be simple
First
In here
And show the way
The poet
(I have mentioned this)
Taught me about the Amish
Person
Who was asked
Are you saved to heaven
To which
The faithful person said
I hope so
Not doubting so much
As to be humble
And to be prodded
All the time
To serve
And remember who is
Served
And what did
Jesus say
About the sheep
But
You may come in
For helping me
Because
I was the thirsty
And the naked
And the lonely
While you goats
(poor goats
for a metaphor)
Must stay outside
And go to
Frankly
An awful place
Or maybe
Nothing
Philosophically
Simply enough
Perhaps
That is
Live well
And for each other
And who is my neighbor
But
Anyone in
Need
While we have the means
And typically we have
To use
Help each other
Which I guess means
Take the help
As well
Simple enough
C L Couch
(Matthew 25:31–46)
Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Unsplash
help the goats, too
(x = space)
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The Rites and Rights for Veterans
x
I hope no one else
Was lost
While signatories waited for
11 11 11 11
The armistice
In a great war
All the ones
Must have been important
Were they really
And now the time
The day
Is broadened from one war
Into all wars
All military times
For service past
For anyone who fought
Whose fighting
Whose service into readiness
Now over
Now a veteran
Whose remains are
In the earth
Or whose living person
Very much deserves
To be served
In thanks
Or common sense
(someone’s hurt
we try to fix)
And is there not enough
And if not
Why not
Why not facilities
And programs
For the sacrifice
Same kind of treatment
We want
For anyone
Home
Back home
The kind of help
Plus the acknowledgement
For those of us
Moving only here
Might want
Might need
While they return
A victory
Returning
And might need assistance
Maybe much
Maybe grim
Or simply have stories
And it healthily
Supernally
Behooves us to
Listen
Listen
Listen
x
C L Couch
x
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Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash
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(x = space)
x
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The Other News
x
Yet there were
Earthquakes
In Afghanistan
Thousands died
First aid
And reconstruction
In rapid action
So wide to bear
x
We must put this in our heads
Because
The news is dire
Elsewhere
Like 9/11
And what happened anywhere
Save in New York
Pennsylvania
And Washington, D.C.
x
But this is dire
Sisters
And this requires response
Brothers
From the healthy
Those with jobs
So much material
And money
Those who can volunteer
Exigent skills
x
MSF is there
Unless politics gets in the way
Also the Red Crescent
And all the groups that monitor
And respond
x
Then in time
We have to contemplate
How to keep things
Such as quakes like this
Tsunamis and eruptions
Elsewhere
From happening
Though we’re better at
The monitoring
At least
x
And prevention
Might affect
A war as well
From happening
x
And what else
Is happening
Out there
Let’s find out
Please
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
Too Much and Too Awful
x
In Morocco
There’s an earthquake
That kills
A millennial
Of people
x
And homes of people
Health among the wounded
And repair
x
So exotic
That’s where
Casablanca is
And Fez
And on the way
To Timbuktu
x
I’m sorry
For the images
I should think for real
Of all you need
Just now
x
For all the rushing there
To help you
With my dollars
And my prayers
Hardly worthwhile
Not like MSF
Or Red Crescent
(who are)
But a little bit
In the right way
Of things
x
And is there air enough
Water
Food
Other things
You need
Everyone needs
x
A restoration
And improvement
And prevention
x
The moments now should be for
Wrapping wounds
For lifting beams
And rocks askew
And everything
To find you
And to help you
x
God is there
We are there
Too
As best we may
And may it be good enough
In act
And thought
Enough for now
x
And of course
You’ll heal your own
With what you have
And given time
x
God hears your cries
Has heard destruction
Happening
Toward what wisdom
Cosmic meaning
We don’t know
x
Provision
As with war
This is a war for time
And bandages
And presence
And money
Building supplies
And more intimate sustenance
For people
x
And mourning
And faith
And keep going
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
We Need You and Sometimes We Can’t
x
Help us to love you,
O Lord,
Though
You may live without us
x
Still, we can exist
Together
In a bond that is
Extraordinary:
Of energy, of will,
Of love without agenda,
All around
x
It’s hard to love invisibly
With thoughts and feelings
We can’t see
And then
Your presence, Lord
x
With things unseen
And unevidenced
In other ways,
Our senses confounded
For lack of usefulness
The kind employed in what we do
In anything—and
How may we
Sense you?
x
There is stigmata for a few
And apparitions;
There are those
Who hear your words
In air
Or those emblazoned
Understood
Upon the heart
x
We want to know;
We get frustrated
Then we worry
For offense
(offending God does not seem smart)
Or we give up
Ignore
And in internal ways
We walk away
x
But you are there
We should believe
And within parameters
Of material and abstract
Hope for more
x
That on this side
We may have in measures
That will have to do
For life
And faith
And all the things we have to do
To make things better
One by one
And altogether
x
Tolerance
And patience
Peace
And feeding
Giving water
Giving hope for more
In all the needs of life
(material and abstract)
x
Help us, Lord,
Or let us help ourselves
And the others;
Be with us
And invisibly
Leave us to choose
In respect
Of how we’re made
And otherwise arranged
Our will
That we often apply well
Even without
Preternatural accoutrements
Composing a few rituals
For service
Pledging how to live
On our own
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
Tent Revival
x
God of my thoughts,
You guide me
As I’m open
You fill the vessel
Pour it right
Not that there aren’t miracles
There are
You guide me
When I refuse to guide myself
It is the other side of faith
The pledge we made
A while ago
You can guide the pain that’s there,
Which is good when I am
Overwhelmed
Help me, Lord
I’m tired
I don’t know what I am doing
What a good time
For an angel to intrude
There is pain
You can use it
With the rest of me
All yours
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Should Wang on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
Inside Armageddon
x
Forget the prophecy for now:
Sometimes
Most of the time
We have other things to do
x
There are the newly or ongoing
Wounded
Disenfranchised
So many who need
Our domestic help
And we can think the larger thoughts
As well
To offer courage
Without indictment
x
Things are awful
We need help
That is enough
x
C L Couch
x
x
x
(x = space)
x
x
Dire Invocation
x
God
Help us
We need you
Because
And when
The world is too much
And we can’t get away
For love
Of being here
Unreadiness for heaven
‘Til you say so
And we can’t live
‘Til you say so
We have to do
Other
We think you made us
This way
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Jack van der Spoel on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
They Seek Him There
x
O God, our help
In ages past
Our hope for years to come
x
And what do we need today
But to know you are near
Some miracles would not go
Amiss, I must confess
(unless they do)
For a week of flood and fire
End or start to war
A sickness that has taken many lives
Corruption from the fruit of Eden
For the way we ate
For the way we live
For the way we want to live
On this side or that
x
C L Couch
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title borrowed respectfully from The Scarlet Pimpernel
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by Lawn Weeds – Scarlet Pimpernel, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85377914
Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is a summer annual plant and a member of the primrose family. As its name suggest[s,] it has bright red/orange flowers, which only open when the sun shines.
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