amazement
no
really is
good news
God loves us
and is perfect in everything
and so
perfect in this
the only mitigator
human will
created to be meaningful
to change the spirit
by
affiliation
to alter bodies and all people
as gathered into
interests
and all nations
and so the world outside of Eden
has been laid
not
as a game
though that would be temptation
serpent-like
spoken into ears
and
there is gospel
too
to endure anything with faith
and our version of that love
that made us
even set us on our way
accountable
joy
and peace
and how can that be
but by
amazing love of God
and by degree
what we might live of that
God
self
and others
c l couch
And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Charles Wesley
photo by Anthony Rosset on Unsplash
From 5 to 7
How was
Your day
Mine
Went strangely
But I’d like to hear about
Your own
Adventures that
If are mostly
Small
What you consider homely
Shall be
Frankly
Resting
Glad
And grateful
In the hearing
C L Couch
(I guess maybe there’s an American and a British way to say and use “homely,” one use meaning plain if attractive, the other meaning domestic even welcome—and I think I mean both meanings, if I may)
Photo by rebootanika on Unsplash
Tune in Tomorrow When You’ll Hear
So far
I’ve eschewed
The news
(and
chewed
on other things)
Though
The time will come
On the hour
I shall hear
And you shall
Hear
If you are with me
The tolling that tells
You really
Ought
To know
What’s happening
Though yes
Some avoid it
For a style
But there is Gaza
And is the deep South
Where we know
Where we have
People
All of us
Have people
Things are happening
Difficult
And tragic
Tearing
(tearing)
Both naturally
And
Making of a siege
Aberrant
Of what’s natural
What’s in the better part
Of all our natures
And either way
(and
both)
The floods
The washing of the states
Of all the wars
Not clean
But leaving
Unresolved
The land
And everything
Smashed
Or rescued
To return
Upon us
And by us
Titanic
Rushing
Then
Defeated godly
By the Earth
First and
Last
And if tuned
In
(unLeary)
We shall hear
Of these
And then lean back
Into a frank
A kind of wounded
Normalcy
For the hour
Following
C L Couch
Image by Vectronom Studios from Pixabay
troubadour
the scribe would write
holy
the troubadour
should
sing
everything
and should they be the same
they never were
so who wrote the epics
in between
that sometimes sound like holy wit
for
wisdom
and for warning
and come across for pleasure
in
the meeting place
long house
or
fires outside
in each season
when
and where
words shall save
for
entertainment
frankly
plus in telling
or implying
our own gospel
and will you come again
tomorrow
I must be on the way
to the next
place
where is the next place
stay for one more night so
we may sadly
tell you
the next morning
you are kind
for an audience
I shall stay
and gladly so
and so
the word got out through these
the news
rumors of news
what
to be ready for
at home
because of what’s developing
out there
and then
a song with verse
that has no meaning
and then
a song with verse
that has
a good night
for all our sakes
into
our heaven
hope for heaven
wills
tomorrow
by your leave
and mine
and God’s own
c l couch
photo by zibik on Unsplash
ain’t together
(roaming like clouds or cellphone signals, I apologize)
anticipation
like the ketchup
rain
should come
at any moment
through
the unrelenting gray
to the west
and south
severer things have happened
and
I think
we
shall get the dregs
of it
flooding tempests
and tornados
well
it’s windy
now
though I don’t think
shelter-driven
though
of course
I could be wrong
and I’ll
be looking for
a doorframe
after all
and you be safe
unless
you be
stormchasers
then
I don’t what
to say
how about
God speed with you
and make wings
ahead
blow you the other way
when exigent
need be
coda
I’m sorry
we aren’t going through
what you go through
in Ukraine
or in Gaza
or
in parts where the same things
happen
and we don’t hear about
so much
I’m not talking about
bullets
killing or
explosions
the terror
then the thirst
and hunger
after
the infections
and the awful
draining
fear
for families
and I’m not in Philadelphia
where someone had to shoot
at Muslims
having Eid al-Fetr
at the end
of Ramadan
and I’m not everywhere
where white folk
hate the Jews
or anyone who’s not
so white
(I guess I mean
pure
ethnic white
whatever hell that means
as a thought
or an
agenda)
anyone
that is
whom we’re afraid of
as the next
majority
in number or
otherwise in power
well
I merely
started talking
about
weather
and by
implication
climate change
but
maybe
everything’s extreme
anymore
and the peace of moderation
sometimes called
the swing vote
might be desired
more than
ever
or I’ll only speak
for me
from a kind of centered place
that I hope is not
the hurricane’s
but God’s
eye
c l couch
photo by Clay LeConey on Unsplash
with at the start a reference to a TV commercial from the '70s
(x = space)
x
x
poem plus a verse nodding to tomorrow
x
x
Flesh and Plastic
(having heard about the current cancer rates)
x
How do we poison
Ourselves
How do the cancer rates
Increase
I looked outside
Through polluted air
While inside
My mother fought for life
Or couldn’t fight
When the disease
Or medications
Were too much
x
And I couldn’t help
But wonder
Do we do this to each other
Change condensation nuclei
From dirt
To chemical compounds
And so our snow in winter
Raindrops
All year ‘round
x
We poison up our food
The animals
And plants might have it
Too
With all the Earth
We used to praise
And respect
If only scenery
For action
x
And now maybe
The Earth talks back
To say
You could once blame us
For our parts
In quakes and floods
Eruptions
But as you do
What you do
To yourselves
With how you build
And how you bury
How you live
We must share the blame
For a plastic planet
Made of chemicals
That do not make the cycle
Of planting
And fruition
But poison everything
Removing what is natural
(what is ours)
From the seasons
x
From what is natural
For life
The life that we would have for you
Even with quakes
And flooding
Eruptions
The harsher liturgy
We provide
With all the living
Rather
Life
x
The God whom we report to
Might be sad
Might be angry
Might be waiting
As with faith
For you to get it
Change
While polluted soil
And water
Air
We keep waiting as we can
For change
For better boxing
As discretion
To let the poison
Be mistakes that mar
Rather than
Daily living
x
For now we take
The poisons as we can
While expecting
Your human race to change
Before the earthline
Fails
And falls
Before the fire consumes
Where then
Would you go
x
We wait
God waits
So change
Already
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash
Plastic bottle floats in water. Plastic pollution is a problem that every single person on earth can relate to. Single-use plastics are being found at every corner of our natural world, and it’s a problem that each of us can help to solve. Follow on Instagram @wildlife_by_yuri, and find more free plastic pollution photos at: https://www.wildlifebyyuri.com/free-ocean-photography
x
x
Introit to All Souls
x
November two
All Souls
Yesterday to celebrate
The living church
Now to remember
Reconnoiter with
The church that has gone on
Some of which
That stays behind
To watch
To receive prayers
x
CLC
x
(x = space)
x
x
Maggs
x
Yesterday or recently
(depending on
the rate
at which cop blotters’
notes move on
to general news)
A boy
Who was 7
On a scooter
(child’s fit)
Treading the thing next
To his mother
Was hit by a truck
An NYPD
Tow truck
The driver on his cell phone
When it happened
x
This could be the news
Of the day
If we wanted things
This way
Then move on to pestilence
To wider crimes
To war
x
(sequel)
x
Is there more to say today
Beyond small tragedies
Small hopes
Perhaps
What happens if
Remediation
Anyone who seated at
Any round table
x
Good news
That’s strong and wide
And numerous
Throughout the world
We would talk about these
Too
x
(d.s. al coda)
x
There has to be the larger news
As well
That’s normal
Becoming all the media
In circles
I mean cycles
To see and hear
x
But sometimes
We keep it small
A fire here
Some thieving there
Small
Local tragedies
With ads surrounding
x
Maybe a fundraiser
For a smaller while
Highlighting
Human need
Addressed
x
It’s a mishmash
And
Yes
The larger
Overwhelms the smaller
(the whale that subsumes
the krill)
We might say
The way of the world
And who sets that way
The Earth
God
Or us
Or even us as
God’s
Program directors
x
Well
Signing off
Let’s find out
How things might be arranged
To settle heart and head
Into priorities
Of one day to the next
x
(now d.c.)
x
We must do the things
To do
Address the wicked
Heal the wounded
And remember
x
Remember Lewiston
Tree of Life
Parkland
Columbine
x
Elevate each spirit
In our minds
That has already gone to God
While our ongoing care
And remembrance
Go on
Here
x
And do we learn
Do we get better
Fuller
Sometimes
Sometimes it takes a trend
Some public outrage
Sometimes
Some public mourning
x
We can change
We can grow
What is the main thing
What are
Side things
Which is first
Then second
In our lives
x
How do we moralize
With wisdom
Restraint
Humbly working it out
As if about
To kneel
Before a divine
Committee
That keeps knocking
That keeps asking
x
(30)
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Mike Hindle on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
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
Don’t Listen
x
I’m sad is all
And maybe I may say
Who wouldn’t be
It’s raining
There are feet of snow
Out west
And that’s dangerous
x
In the south
There were tornados in the night
Can you imagine?
Too many don’t have to
You wouldn’t see it
You hear the train
If you can hear
The sounds of what you know
Changed into splinters
Horrifying
x
You might go dark
Deeper in, that is
Or might be missed
(tornados leap this way)
Or under things
That fell
But living
Needing to be found
x
And a factory nearby
Exploded of all things
Also last night
And people inside
Sorry
Some were killed
Others hurt
And people missing
While searchers search
Press conferences are held
Because
They have to be
x
Another factory
Not so far off
Went this way
Some days ago
I don’t think
It’s a conspiracy
But these destructive
And frightening
Severities
Must be taken seriously
x
Last night’s inferno
Costing
Families
The ones torn up
For good
And those in the community
Losing, too
x
You see,
The people in this factory
Made candy
Of all things
In fact for decades
And should have been
With all the chocolate offerings
Just in time for Easter
x
Now associations
Snow-driven winter
Romantic Southern nights
Anticipation of confections
Well,
The fears will have to go somewhere
Coping mechanisms
Mechanized
(as in ready to go)
Let hope
Like grace doctrinally
Abound
x
So I’m sad
Maybe I don’t know how
To take it in
To breathe vicarious
In addition to my
Own intake
For, well,
My own
Somewhat depressed
I deal in this
And have had counseling
And medication
x
The day’s been gray
With rain
Not life-threatening here
Persistent
Cold and dull
Is all
And enervating
x
I thought about errands
And such
Then thought better
Thinking it better
Or maybe better would have been
To go out
Get wet
Do something
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Peter Jan Rijpkema on Unsplash
x
clcouch123 
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