ours
it’s my world
though the wars are far away
I could complain about war-chemicals
in the atmosphere
and more exigently about
war’s cost of life
the sad and tragic loss of life
by artificial means
those who had been alive
the moment before
and who am I but an Israeli
I am from Ukraine also
and of the Palestinians
Lebanese and Egyptians
Iraq
and Iran
and Russia
knowing some fine people there
I am of all despot states
especially the ones who say they’re not
I am of Earth
and so are you
and so means of destruction
hit at the statues of our lives and states
destroys us
piece by piece
one oppressive act by the next
whatever takes out freedom
will
and life
hours
exchange
one deadly volley
then another back or
somewhere else
maybe
toward allied
then the arcs overlap
and collapse
order
of things
and then we say it’s over
‘cause we say
and then ceasefire’s broken
and
who is left
respecting whom
worse than chaos is
the void
we shouldn’t move toward such
things
such lack of shape and substance
and the life itself
one life by one
c l couch
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Weekend World
Breathe well
Today
Pause
(this could be sabbath)
Within the chaos
If there’s chaos
Take the weekend
Then
If you are free
For
Our modern invention
Of two days
(so far)
To figure things out
Or
If you may
And you are free
To play
Simply and well
Plus
With time
And will
Might we think about
How small
(small if need be
small is grand)
We might contribute toward
The freedom of our neighbors
Regardless and regardful
Let it be
Because of
In spite of
A good
Time
That is good
That is good
C L Couch
Photo by Mirhashim Bagaliyev on Unsplash
space ranger God
so many
science-fiction futures
read sad to me
yet
maybe I know
why
because they are nearly
always
God-less
the meaning not mentioned
much less
taking part
in new creations
and inventions
comforting
again
our flaws
but gladdened by
the progress
humans make
it might be hard
to craft
too difficult
in fact
since we must invent
our future
stake our hold on it
come disaster
or a clean and silver form
of paradise
and how to say
there’s God in this
that God
pushed us in the spacecraft
that brought the first
to a new world
we instead
must
try to own
and have such bid for ownership
tested
and tried
by what we find
or whom we find
there
toward a final tempering
of us
that accommodates the cosmos
for the differences
we find
to mesh with them
at last
who we are
perhaps we fear
the role
of God would spoil the story
(the real story
too)
and so we play out
only ourselves
on new
planetary stages
and all the things that fly
between
smallest things
(like mustard seeds)
or
parsec-sized things
God might bide
at the launching pad
or well behind
like farewelling parents
waving kerchiefs
allowing tears
for those who leave
we shall not see
again
though
in fact
God sees
and might see toward the end
of our expansion age
how we have done
and what we’ve done
to be here
there might be
judgment following
of our accounting
then decisions
regarding more dimensions
multi-universes
to encounter
encounter serving as
the theme
maybe the most important theme
in sci-fi
and for all the real findings
it inspires
c l couch
Spaceship Earth
photo by Ronald Yang on Unsplash
(x = space)
x
x
Unthinkable Think Think Unthinkable
x
God help Lewiston
And Israel
And Ukraine
(and more
always more)
Settings for
What we’d like to think
Unthinkable
x
I care about
Don’t care about
The sides
I care about the living
Suffering
About the dead who died
Suffering
x
About the living
Who remain
To bend
In mourning
And those who rise
In fear
x
There is anger
War is angry
I imagine
Shooting someone else
Is angry
x
Anger the mask
For fear
Fear the mask
For sin
Maybe we could sin less
With our devices
And machines
Pick up each other
Donate
Through the screens
And if on site
Somehow
Watch out for each other
Get physically involved
(and also hide
when needed)
to hide)
Which can be dangerous
I know
Though everything
Might be endangered
Now
Or anytime
We do more
To resist the devil
Having released itself
Out of hell
Upon our world
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Napendra Singh on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
2 disclosing pieces
x
x
In the Mood
x
I am not sure what
To say
I never am
There is an empty page
(there you are)
I look away sometimes
Then start to write
I say
What there is to say
My mind is on God
And hoping
Frankly
For a good day
In all persons
I and you and we
And shall God give us (all)
A good day
Or something like
Often the wish is
To have the means
To get through
The bad
The means material
And abstract
Miracles
Would be gladly received
Material and abstract
Material would mean
What
Money
Treasure in the cave
Or sometimes simply
(miraculously)
A way out
While abstract is a good thought
A steady faith the medium
For good thoughts
Hope
How about
Dealing here not there
Founding philosophies
Of virtue
Values
(life has value)
Everything based on a directive
To
Love and be loved
Meaning
And gratitude
And when everything is wrecked
What seems what must be
The chance for living well
Living at all
Around us
Or inside us
Due to wrecks
Outside inside
Inside outside
War and the fear of war
Fire
Ruined ground
Where there was verdure
Even where we used to live
Our habitats
Are gone
With how we thought
To be social
To be at all well-knit inside
There are wounds
With the pain and stress
In healing, too
The burdens and ennui
Of getting by
At best
When we need something better
In both places
External
And internal
Grant us peace
Grant us hope
Grant us enough satiation
We could day
This day was gratefully asked for
And received
Thank you
Divinity
Each other
And ourselves
x
x
x
A String of Pearls
x
For me when I was young
A horn was
Chosen
For me by someone
Who
Merely looked
At my lips
x
Whose sound
(the horn)
I liked
But did not to play
Success was only in first chair (first)
Driven to drive
And park there,
Which I did
I could have been
First second
Or given up
Not bothered in the first place
Maybe piano
Sung instead
Once I discovered these
And then for me
The joy in conducting
x
I could have compromised
With the world
Stayed quiet
When
Go noisy
When not
Stopped being told to settle down
As if Greeley were talking to
A young man in the east
Contemplating west
x
I could have had
A few things that I liked
Not so many things
That broke too easily
Things
Of all kinds
Or I could have learned more
Experimented
With taking parts of things I had
To meld
Them into the new and odd
Setting an eccentric path
On which I find
Or receive
Pieces on the way
Look, feel
For beauty in what’s there
What might be the possibilities
In new combinations
New whole things
x
Had I adolesced this way
I’d be on a weird way,
I suppose
Accepted enough by the world
With all my second places
On a creative way
Releasing rock
You know
From the unformed statue
Or other work
For senses
And appreciation
x
Thanks
How about
Safe drinks all around
x
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Marin Tulard on Unsplash
x
titles of Big Band songs made popular by Glenn Miller (Glenn Miller and His Orchestra)
x
(x = space)
x
x
the blast of war
x
God
grant not my will
but yours
yours and mind when
we’re allied
but if it’s you or me
better to be you
and yours
I know
I’ll be there, too
that sometimes frustrates
when I want something
all my own
and maybe
you would not agree
all the way
better for your will be done
and mine left out
you’ll remember me
and several billion
while caretaking
all who are asleep
a world that’s cracking
you will let it crack
split into pieces
that we insist upon
who says
my will be done?
yours will keep the planet
and humanity
behold what
our will has done
and save us
by your modest will
gentle
or ferocious
x
the quiet desert
and the storm at sea
are yours
watch over these
and the tame or wild places
of the mind
the heart
and spirit
we should ally
keep us from all tyrannies
with a will
for freedom
x
c l couch
x
x
photo by jonathan bowers on unsplash
x
clcouch123 
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