New Calling
(sci-fi)
She had quit the complex
A while ago
A lay sister
“Mother” to the order
And the last one
Left
She had found a robe
Left by someone
Who had doubted
And she took
It
Wrapped it around her frame
Tightened the rope from which
Knots dangled
Then
Began her wandering
She needed shelter
Now and then
Sometimes finding a cave
Or what was
Left
Of a town
Sometimes hunched behind
A piece of wall that stood
While around
Hot wind or cold wind
Depending on the mood of Earth
Blew by
There was food
Mostly she tried to find
In
Nature
But would go with preserved things
If she must
She was no
Diogenes
She had no lantern
Though now and then
There was
A flashlight
She could use while the charge
Held out
And then the tube was
Useless
Unless she should need an abnormal
Straw
Now and then
Which she didn’t
She could make fire
She wasn’t looking for
The honest man
Another
Woman
Maybe
Other sister
From an order like her own
Another refugee
From ancient sanctity
In modern
Costume
Though regarding habits
And pardoning the pun unto
Herself
She practiced
None
No daily prayer
No minding
Of the liturgies of the hours
That she had often
Missed
Anyway
Due to exigency while
Mothering
The abbey
And now
She chose to
Ignore such things become
Anachronistic in
A planetary
Moment
In terms of humans gone
Mostly
She blamed men
Women wouldn’t do this
She had concluded
She didn’t look for God
For God must be
Allowing
Having let the world
If the human part alone
Go so far as to
Ruin
Nearly everything
And remove all company
Meaning
Companionship
So far
C L Couch
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
notes
lay brothers and lay sisters could and can take over practical concerns within monastic communities, while maintaining faithful identities avowed of their own
“none” would be another pun, regarding prayers at hours
of course, this isn’t real and isn’t prophecy (the future-telling kind)—rather Happy Hallowe’en!
A Little Prophecy for Friday
(any day—and I hope it’s good for you)
When everyone had
Gathered
In whatever room
Maybe
A second-story place
When he appeared
The first thing Jesus said was
“Peace”
A signal for the resurrection
Maybe
That now a time of resolution is
At hand
That reconciliation is
The way of things
And that
of course
Is what has happened
In that
The way of Earth has changed
Or
Rather it is on its way toward
Being finished
And peace is the new order
Any victory
Through peace
Peaceful understanding
Peaceful
Action
We may announce
Maybe in a Pentecost-al way
(with red
balloons and
such
all environmentally
worked
out)
That a new order is at hand
That
Sorry
Isn’t new
(no merchandising
on it)
The joy that was in Genesis
Unending
Without flaw
Is at hand
And all for us
And God
And God with us
And if the cosmos has
Fallen
With us
Then
All material
And who knows
Maybe issues
Will have their first
Finality
As well
C L Couch
John 20:19
Photo by Ronald Cuyan on Unsplash
(x = space)
x
x
Our Turn
x
What does God say
But something that
Could be without words,
Could be in a breath
Of moving air,
Could be something
In the quiet
Or in cacophony
x
Order speaks,
Chaos works its way,
There’s miracle in timing
Though the measure isn’t ours
x
Someone else is keeping time
For music we can’t hear
But moves us
Like vibration through the floor
When a band we know
Is playing
x
The universe is a song
Whose senses are involved,
All of them
Measured out
To everyone
x
With a constant invitation
To the dance
Whose steps we know
For having once been made
And being made again
x
Yes, and fallenness
x
Get up,
Step away
Into the dance
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by tabitha turner on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
Impromptu Earth
x
What is needed
For the timing, Lord?
Order or chaos
Either has its charms
The opposite of order
Is nihilo
x
Creation can be wild,
Order can go crazy,
Chaos the odd anchor
Keeps us safe
x
Is it a magic thing
Or science?
These and more
Are real
x
We need chaos
God allows:
Sarah laughing
When a pregnancy announced,
Leaving fire
Or clouds to show the way,
Accepting
Ravens bringing bread
So the prophet lives
To challenge bastions
x
Responding
To the r.s.v.p.,
Jesus cooking fish
At the shore
x
I know the void
You know
We call it chaos
In translation
Maybe there are biases
x
Maybe like weekly money
We children benefit
From allowances
x
From contraries
That complement
Our sure things and
Our mysteries
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Nikolay Hristov on Unsplash
x
Check, Please
It’s a lovely day outside
The sky could be a little bluer
I’ll have to ask when
Ordering tomorrow
And you, what would you like?
Maybe some rain
For thirsty fauna
Or something zephyrous,
A blessing in a breeze
And since it’s you, I’m happy
To be countermanded
Order what you
Think is best
C L Couch
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Fenton, Michigan, United States
clcouch123 
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