[haiku of the funeral]
common the remains
of by world and word a pope
framed in love to earth
c l couch
photo by Nicolas Weldingh on Unsplash
of John 3:17
for God
did not send
the child of God
into
the world
to condemn the world
but that
through the child
the world
and all the world
might
be saved
for God so loved
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photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
the good season that lasts
the week after
time of discipleship
like being free of Pharaoh
free
now
of similar devils
new obligations based
on old beliefs
and
now
regeneration
not an easy life
in the spirit
old and new temptations
to parry
disillusionment as
after
last Friday
until the vigil moment
Sunday
which is maybe how sometimes
faith
appears
fast like a bird
settling like
rain
a life re-breathed
a new season that in temperate climes
speaks to changing colors
and
thermometer degrees
and while these quarters will continue
the life
in the spirit
we know
now
shall not have an end
as long as we’re inclined
and others
all of us go on
face the choice
to belong
adhere
and have renewed breath
in the new time
in the gathering that is church
only people
by
its Greek definition
and goodness the soft
yoke
the easy
weighted burden
which faith allows
maybe
hopes near all traditions
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first full week of the Easter season
photo by Julia Elliot on Unsplash
Mars Not for the Taking
Who owns the moon
Who wants it
Besides Gru
Someone who thinks the mineral rights
Would be glad to take
And to provide through
Taking
And so make the other Earthers pay
Who owns Mars
But that the same agendas
Work
And again the rest on Earth to pay
And
What kinds of lessons will we learn
When we are truly
There
And other places
And the ones before us
Say
Sorry
Wrong number
Phone elsewhere
And then
In a seriousness of Spaceballs
We will decide to take their
Air
So we may have it
And the progenitors
No longer
And keep on this track of
Piracy
And war
Until the cosmos
Squish us out
By the things
Always bigger than
Ourselves
And had we read
The appendix of the guide
That said
Don’t ever do this
And now panic
For
So many things were
And are given
Without
The taking
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for Earth Day and even Easter week
all the things trademarked or copyrighted that I cite or to which I allude I do not own and make no money from (no more than Earth or the moon, Mars, Phobos, or Deimos)
Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
amigo ausente
well
I’m sorry
I know I should be glad
that he’s in heaven
now
but I liked him
liked his presence
even in
the way-distant way I knew it
knew him
I like
the name he chose
I like the way he tried
I don’t like the way
that we heard
and he looked ill
and now
that’s not a problem
but I liked his look
of love on Earth
and now
we won’t have
save in pictures and maybe
in the same wide way
a new one
new papa
I wish I could have visited
and heard him chat with friends
(are
popes allowed
to have
friends)
to have heard the Spanish
easy on his lips like home
heard an easy laugh
from him
at something
a friend without expectations
might have said
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photo by Fr. Daniel Ciucci on Unsplash
rest with
rest with
I think of thick
cloth
maybe with a scent of earth
and what is
the scent of resurrection
I don’t know
the face
for fear
for shame of looking
but I can’t help
but rest
against the folds
and a little ways
inside
I rest
and I don’t know the surface
of the ground
beneath
it could be firm
it could be clouds
if could
be fire
but for the company
I’ll keep resting
maybe fall
asleep
daring and remarkable
in the Earth-turning
and somehow homely presence
of the Lord
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for Easter Monday
photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash
must be an unholy day
the Romans hate us
which is easy
in so easy a hard
and harsh land
but our own
too
our people loathe us
hate us
people scorned within a people scorned
the larger group
too easy to be crying crucify
again
without even a Barabbas
to be freed in
irony of law
no trick for us of
politics
we shall simply be found
and ended
with the teaching
with
the message
and
somehow
maybe because we know the devil
is involved
we know the hatred isn’t Roman
is not
Judean
but something both
deeper and on the surface
temptation within
hatred expressed
in fear
in rage
a human thing
more than any group
even of
promises
or who seem to be the rulers
of the Earth
we many say
in darkness
now
the all of us killed the one
whom
came to save through reconciliation
all of us killed
one
who now is gone
and we wait
without waiting
for
who expects more after the finality
of death
not Roman
not Judean
all of us on either side
and from all sides
from
the wreckage of Eden
where
the devil also won before
finally a curse
and aren’t we all cursed
and now
enough philosophy
or
hoping something out of meditation
rather
now
we turn
we hide away
we wait for
not a thing
worth
the waiting
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for Holy (also ironic) Saturday
photo by Aleksei Agafonov on Unsplash
Hearing a New Commandment
Bread and wine
For body
Wind for spirit
Earth
For creation
These show the nature of
The Lord
In closest metaphors
Like mustard seeds
For faith
And there are other metaphors
For appreciation
And
For learning
But these are things we have
And may know
Easily
Even rather thoroughly
That any might believe in
What they represent
And so
Have faith
In the intimate way
The better things are and have
Been made
Bread
Wine
Wind
Earth
Learn
Believe
Love
Live
C L Couch
for Maundy Thursday
John 13:34-35 (and in Matthew 22)
Matthew 11:15, 13:9
Photo by Assad Tanoli on Unsplash
bitter
the herbs of Passover
or what
sin-eaters eat
when it’s more than salt
with bread
though
salt is pretty bitter
on its own
and then there’s the attitude toward
life
after
disappointment
even within
unscaled perspective
we don’t get what we want
so life is
bad
it’s wrong
it’s bitter
although what we may want is exactly
what is needed
so maybe what we want’s
the issue
what
for whom
and how
nothing new in this
in that
life goes this way or that
becomes
quite trite
in fact
(and pardon rhymes at
times)
and still we want life
I want mine
you should want yours
so hang on through
the bitter
please
self-determined or pushed
maybe dropped
on
heavily
by the world
there’s more
and it could be challenging
maybe with
a way to see
to bear
the bitter
and-or
who knows
a time in life
(life time)
could turn sweet
if
and most likely not
forever
yet
which is why we have and own the term
for terms
the times
the joined word that is
the lively paradox
of
bittersweet
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photo by freestocks on Unsplash
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