have or have not
yesterday we have
in pieces
today is a whole thing
from now to now
confusion
when we’re tired
or bemused
notwithstanding
leaving the partial thing
like yesterday
tomorrow
also
in pieces of
guesswork
and expectation
well
the wind outside
is blowing thoroughly
on the branches
and I’m pretty sure
it’s cold
from the time
and the narrative
of
the season
what we have
is what we have
and what we know
we know
and I’m thinking that
control
profit
agendas
that are hidden
really don’t help this moment
that we have
and to expect
though it’s honestly a mystery regarding
next
but mysteries
have joys
if we allow
and maybe disallow
the heavy things
that
keep the letting go
down
and
down
as if
to Goblin-Town
or worse
only shadowy things for real
we think
we have to own
and wield
to own
c l couch
title swiped from Hemingway—an homage of, I mean—who might have swiped it—been inspired—from Ecclesiastes, Donne, or a sociologist
[sociology about the haves and have-nots]
yesterday’s image was of a bridge at or in New Orleans, picked because of the city and the recent tragedy occurring there (plus bridge as a metaphor)
photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash
“Hand holding keys to a new house. Real estate residential.”
on my oldest brother’s birthday
what shall I say
happy birthday to my brother
many
more birthdays
and painless shoulder
for a gift
and thank goodness
you’re the healthy one
of us
and selfishly
I count on that
as you
and then a model
for the rest
and so last seventy
by the way
we count
and it’s a good year
please
with all the good that is
and also due
c l couch
my brother Steve, 2 January
photo by Stavrialena Gontzou on Unsplash
The First for Promise
(1 January 2025)
I
It’s a cold
Gray day
No promise of winter
Say
In the form of
Romantic snow
Not the fearful kind
The same
The foreboding of the same
That for me
Is a bad heart
And
Bad neighbors in
A chilly town
And an existential thinking
About how
To have and read
The next
Passage
Of
Things
And may I ask
What shape and content
Yours
Toward a sound structure
With
The broken beams that
Get majorly
In the way
While you are building
And yet
(for
me
for us)
The pressure’s on
As in
The stultified quality
Of things that never change
And yet
Should
In fact
They must
For the things that should not change
But must
How about in
The promise of new
And then
New years
II
Sigh
It sounds like
Resolutions’
Trope
The things we say
We sell things over
And yet
Will
In the popular
Way
Give up
Say
In a month or so
If that
Sigh
What now
What new way to say it
What way to say
We really mean
It
This time
What counts
What reifies
Well
We have this
The versicle way
To say old things to keep
And new
To alter
Songs
Novels
All sorts of declarations
Maybe and
Maybe which is why
We have these
We grew
And grow these
When
Needed
A new way can and
Does change
And so
What shall our new ways be
And so
Answer in
Your own ways and
Our ways together
Please
III
I guess I think
This needs to be
A year
Of change
Or else we’ll have
The same old thing
Dissatisfying everyone
Some
More if not
Forever
C L Couch
Photo by Wilmer Martinez on Unsplash
Times Square, New York, United States
Beautiful city lights looked like something straight out of the movies. The colors were inspired by the Tron: Legacy film. [What Wilmer has to say.]
By Numbers
Some of you
I think
Have had
The new year’s moment
Already
And are into the new number
The rest of us
Shall follow in fireworks
And maybe smaller flames
Inside
Not resolutions
Though they’re formal
But
In some craziness of growth
Some of which
Goes
Yes
Formally
As far as cells
E.g.
Might grow
As far as they might grow
Though sometimes cells are crazy
Too
There are classes
Too
And levels of promotions
And stages of development
(uncrazy)
And then the things that happen
We might make
To happen
Or shall take place
Anyway
To change us
To challenge us
In all of these
To grow
So happy new number
Sun-
Counters
Though some liturgically
Have started weeks
Ago
While others will have their first
Numbers
At yet
Other times
But let’s wish well
All
The beginnings with
“Well”
Meaning a tiny pledge
Perhaps
To help
C L Couch
Photo by Sichen Xiang on Unsplash
Promised Responding
And what
Shall
Happen
When we hear
Like Horton
(only
louder)*
We are here
Meaning
The host of heaven
Small and gargantuan
Depending on
Dimension
And
Dimension’s need
Ready
When we beckon
Or soaring ready
In flight mode
Or on the ground in
Angel
Ranks
Maybe loving us
On fine days
Merely
Or to have to march
(or land)
Upon
Megiddo
To realize apocalypse
And fight for us on
Our side
Meaning the side of all
The believers
Not through possession of
The pride
Of
Victory
So much as that love
By appreciation on
That fine day
C L Couch
(Horton Hears a Who is cited)
Photo by Katarina Dodig on Unsplash
“My favourite street corner in Dubrovnik” (photographer’s caption).
*(still, still small voice)
Then Doubt
Doubt is
Smart
It has an edge
There is reason
There
And care for the shape
And flow
Of things on every
Side
Doubt considers
Aspects
What is good
And what needs changing
What
To say halt
To
While there are considerations
And respect
At least a dive into awareness
Of all players
Doubt
Needs affirmation
Maybe
Though first it should get it
Of itself
Which is to say the paradox might be
That
Doubt
Should be awarded its own
Certainty
To say the head
And all corners of the heart
Deserve
Consideration
And then
There are the questions
The committed should ask questions
Too
Practicality
At least
Though when
Doubt and commitment might
There might be fixing
What
Things need fixing
And leaving go
What might be brought
To bear
With virtue
Next
Occasion
Say
When the parent says
I believe
Help my unbelief
The doubt
Affirmed to heal
Embodying the risk
That faith must
Take
For the stronger
Lasting
Miracle
Of holding
On
Sometimes
Or when certain
In the morning of belief and
And in
Life
That also needs
It seems
The evening of doubt
(Mark 9:24 is cited, the entire passage recommended)
The Pain of Doubt
Doubt does
Hurt
It is disturbing
Even when
We try to keep it only
In the realm of thought
There’s
Likely
To be pain
Goodness is more fun
And we like think
More lasting
As
Promises
And prophecies
Foretell
Yet goodness unchained
Directionless
After
The pleasure might need
Something more
As well
And shall doubt
Provide that
The sureness of having
Worked
Through it all
And shall come out on
The other side
A conviction
Certainly
For enough
Of faith
And peace and
Joy
C L Couch
Photo by BenMoses M on Unsplash
A Christmas Season Message
(anytime)
So once it’s proclaimed
That
God loves you
And a presumption
God loves
Me
Then
We might consider
For ourselves and the world
God loves us
It’s not an easy love
Because the world
Isn’t easy
Rather
Selfish
And destructive
You know this
And the presence of God
Is not made so visible
Or at all
Though there are stories
And what does
This love
Mean
To ask catechistically
Well
It’s the strongest fragile going
Because the world and the devil
Seem
To have their ruinous say
And rule over
Temptations
Ready to wreck us
When we’re turned
Ignoring
Keep from us notions of
Redemption
With reconciliation
Back
Into the body of believers
And so much
Too much
Is hidden in the world
Like treasures found
In mines
As well as ancient
Tombs
That were new once in grief
And now perhaps
Remembrance
Truth hides too easily
Secrets used
To cover truths
Of course
And there’s a pushing under of
Open justice
That restores
By a greater interest
In control of
Rules
And closed-over until-
Declared
Tyranny
Meaning
Sinful attitudes and strategies
Allowed
Through good things bent
Too often by
Prosperity
And punishment
Which warps the understanding of
What’s fair and
Openly
Respectful
In favor of shaded interest
And is this real
Well
All of it must be
Making
Sad sense out of what
Explains
The way things are
And love is hard in this
And some would say impossible
As a human
Reaction
Understood
While love itself might go
Underground
Deeper than the superficial world
Knows
Love might have to hide
Rising when it’s risky
But
To seal the deal on planet Earth
And who knows where else
That better
Vows
Mean something
And we must take the chance to say
And sometimes write so
And say so
From a podium
Until repudiation of such public love with
Podium
And church or temple
Fired by hate
With worldly agendas behind
‘Til what is good
To hear
To bring us together
Is then ashes
Love is strong
Even when assailed
And it shall
Last beyond
But
Oh
It
Takes a beating now and then
Or all the time
Depending on who’s
Or what’s
In charge
But love regardless
God’s behind it and in front
And is invisible
Irascibly
It seems
Even to allow great danger to
Adherents
But love is
Called for
Anyway
And we should love
Each other even more visible than
God
‘Til God more obviously shows
Keeping the understanding
Learning
And the living that
As we might
Know
Singly and together
God loves us
C L Couch
(for its own lectern maybe, serving a sermon or another kind of message in a hall or other place or kind of gathering)
Photo by virkelighet on Unsplash
Seasons’ Reasonings
(or is it reason’s seasonings)
What do I really want
To say today
And shall I break
From
My agenda
Even of pressing needs
For aren’t they all
Seeming-
Exigent
I want
To say
Simple and plain
I guess
As folk
As others
Say
And it’s
God loves you
And
While God loves you
In
The strength and practicality
Of love
Without the pink and lace
So much
Until it’s time
For these
In my land
After the groundhog wakes
And the better President
Is born
And then
Another tussle for
Too many
With
In fact
Pink isolation
Like
Too-often
Christmas green
While all of it
We know
As blue
(though
yes
Elvis’s Christmases
are blue)
Until and in between
These times
That is
Most of the time
And
Yes
And even then
(the betweens of in-betweens)
God loves you
God before us
God behind
Us
And God beneath
With God above
And also
On
Our way is
God beside us
And is there more to say
With hope of heaven
Interesting
But unknown
‘Til it should be happening
And
It hasn’t happened
Though love has occurred
And on all sides
Of time
And will
Exists
And does go with us
Inside
Outside
Everywhere
There’s where
And love
You know
The reason for creation
For creating anything
We know
C L Couch
(Saint Patrick’s Breastplate is cited; sorry, the pun of the title and subtitle, I imagine, only works in English)
Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash
Books of Numbers
1
Twenty-six
For those who count
This way
And just into
New
Seasons
Eight days
For Hannukah
Twelve for Christmas
Until
Epiphany
The world shall have its
New year
For the parties
And
The cheers
There shall be the new
Asian year
Then
Too
And Muslims start
The specific year
As well
And other calendars
No calendars
Hold sway
By group
And ways to count for time
Or not
To count at all
2
When were you born
I was told
That I was born
When it had rained
Days
Straight
And the valley flooded
The people had to climb
And my mother gave
Birth
To me
From a high place
Which has affected
My name
C L Couch
Photo by Paul R Design on Unsplash
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