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MS. Found in an Electric Bottle

(x = space)

x

x

MS. Found in an Electric Bottle

x

How do I keep

These?

x

Mostly, they’re electrons now,

Some of these a day

Over some years

Now

x

Shall I print them all,

Keep them like spells

Inside my crystal cave?

x

Well,

Maybe

Maybe I should

x

I can select from there

With those

To hope for publication

Or another egress

Out to you

To share

x

My part in the circle

And the stars

And the spells

x

We share our pages

With the magic words

That say

I’m here

With everyone

x

Read us;

Hear us

x

C L Couch

x

x

“MS. Found in a Bottle,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe

x

Photo by Douglas Bagg on Unsplash

x

1

“the devil,” “elements” (2 poems)

(x = space)

x

x

the devil

(you say)

x

the tempter

the corrupter

the ruiner of things

resist

no thanks

go away

we’ll bring in professionals

xxxxxif we have to

diaspora

we’re spread apart

you like us this way

we don’t believe in

xxxxxtogether

should we understand

that we are three in one

because God is

(that is the pattern)

we can stand alone

xxxxxJesus

xxxxxJohn

xxxxxElijah

xxxxxMoses

xxxxxeach and all did that

goodness, we know that well

but to be together

find gentle,

overwhelming power in that

we don’t know that

not anymore

not since the last time

and the time to come

and meantime?

we are together all the time

we only need to turn

to find each other

share the tiny glory

in that

the tiny victories

that add up

or they don’t

breathe in

breathe out

let life happen

as it’s supposed to happen

our alone times

our together state

the glory of the Lord

shine through

all shapes and sizes

everything and everyone

inside creation

not the devil

that gave up all right

to enter realms instead

of nothingness

x

x

elements

x

matter merges

xxxxxspiritual and fleshly

xxxxxmaterial

xxxxxgrain and grapes

xxxxxtogether

xxxxxeach part

xxxxxand together

xxxxxchanged

xxxxxinto finer things

xxxxxcloser to purpose

xxxxxcloser to creation

xxxxxand creation

xxxxxand what is finer than

xxxxxa smidgeon more intentional?

xxxxxall the wonder

xxxxxsimple and refined

xxxxxis here

xxxxxmade from the start

xxxxxmade full

xxxxxby God

xxxxxJesus

xxxxxand the Spirit

xxxxxwho are here

xxxxxwhose substance

xxxxxwhose presence

xxxxxis in here

xxxxxand is in you

x

x

notes

x

I’m sorry, while drafting I couldn’t think of women in the Bible who stood or prayed or fled to be alone; now I think that Mary could have been by herself when encountered by the angel and in her response to the announcement and the will of God; Judith might have prayed on her own, away, as well; and Esther might have planned the salvation of Israel in the same way

x

Photo by Mark Duffel on Unsplash

x

0

Imaginaria

Imaginaria

(insight, sci-fi, speculation)

x

x

Machine Life

x

Ain’t devices grand

Until they’re not

And how long is

A generation, anyway

Things work

They slow down

There is no message

Though the problems could be

Indications as they are

In old age

The old age of us,

That is

x

Machine life

Oxymoron

Maybe

Maybe with A-I for real

The opposite are nearer

To the same thing

In us all

Man and machine

They (ubiquitous) used to say

But let the women try

All shall be well

As a woman said

x

x

note

x

Saint Julian of Norwich

(we ubiquitous do not know her name—maybe her cat sussed it through any sublimation)

x

x

Visitors

x

They landed

And found a plethora

Of DNA

On our machines

On the insides

Even blood

Inside

Who were these people, then,

Was soon discovered

Helixes reconstructed

And their features

And their colors

And the shapes of

So many of them

x

The machines they talk to

And brought them here

In fact

Shall interpret

And reconstitute

Everything

Planetside

As well as

From the things in orbit

That have been falling

While a few remain

For boarding

Or retrieval

x

This was a race

Or races

Many kinds of one race

They covered themselves

For the atmospheres

And seasons

Up to four of these

It seems

They were preventive

Though mostly reactive,

Waiting for a crisis

Then responding

x

There might have been those

(translating documents

reshaping the shaping

of their flesh

and all the things they made

for prosperity

or expression)

Who tried in sciences

And arts

To say something

Warn them about

How to live

And what might be coming

x

Well,

Library these

Revive some as we can

Or may

They had the rudiments

A-I and androids

We can work off of these

As templates

The name

Many references to ground

And we have encountered

Worlds named water,

Fire, and air

Smoke and fog

Pollution

And clarity

x

x

Prophecy

x

Three kinds

I was taught this

I’ve thought about it

(these)

Maybe I’ve done some

Merging

On the inside

All about it, too

x

There is the kind

That foretells the future,

Which is the kind

We think about

The most

It seems

x

There is the kind

That foretells the present

That tells the monarchs

There is invasion

Here

Or a great fire there

x

Then there is the kind

That interprets

The present

With insight

And a voice

That can serve the queen

And should they arrange it

Assist today’s administration

Well

And overall

Overall

And well

x

But then prophets

Often get into trouble

Even in democracies

Who are they

Why should we listen

Are they saying

What we want

To hear

Is prosperity promised

And God’s approval

Because God is in our side

Because

We say so

x

Go to the launchpads

Go to the modern museums

Enjoy

Be warned

Grow

Live better

x

As for disagreements

Or outraged

If not ignorant

(usually ignorant)

Confusion

Well,

Weather that

And try not to burn

The saints

x

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Nathan Duck on Unsplash

x

0

“The Smallest Things,” “Peace Relative”

(x = space)

x

x

The Smallest Things

x

It’s cold

There is a blanket

There are enough things

For morning coffee

And toast

For breakfast later on

There is sunlight

So our whole planet

Has another

Day

There is water

I can drink

x

I can wash things

I can

Wash me

x

I have trash

Lined up in bags

Somewhere to take it

I have other piles

(boxes)

By the door

That should I have the

Help

Can go away

Be useful for others who

Might need some things

I had

x

My

Neighbors

Beat the ceiling

But there are no literal explosions

We are lucky

We have things

We can share

When

We want to

We can live in peace relative

To what’s inside

But peace for war

All

The same

x

C L Couch

x

x

Peace Relative

x

Relative to war

And to shutting doors

To keep things out

As if

We hadn’t seen or heard them

Once before

Or every day

x

Relative to shining in

With sunlight

Rather than

Explosives

Something negligent

Or something planned

x

Maybe not peace everywhere

Not yet

And peace organic

Certainly not remaining

Only

Peace from graves

x

Gravesides are pretty

And they’re quiet,

Mostly

We can do so much better

We should

We must

x

We want

To be there

At the end

And how about

A single turning page

Into the story of

Today?

x

Be there for that

Lift each other

The greater adventure

Is not war

Or even matter turned to energy

(it should go

the other way around)

But matters

Of the story

Withheld until we know

We have

Today

x

Next chapter

Please God

Please

Each other

Please

Let’s have the next

Have the next

Now

x

Now

Now

And now

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Nowshad Arefin on Unsplash

x

0

3 Links in a Chain

(x = space)

x

x

3 Links in a Chain

x

1

x

I slept half a night

That was half a morning

My eyes are strained

(they hurt)

I have a heart test later on

And another to have

On my own

By the next visit

x

I feel like Peter Pan

In that

I won’t grow up

Neverland must be nice

All that woodwork

A heaven for Bob Vila

(remember him?)

It might be

On a co-ed trend by now

And so

A better microcosm

I suppose the wireless

Is terrible

x

2

x

Funny how

Wireless is back

When it was so antique

As a term

For a long while

x

A hundred years ago

Or so

It was what the radio

Was called;

I suppose we have both usages

In large part

To Tesla

Thank you, Nikola,

And also for your notion

Of offering the capacity

Free for everyone,

Which would be

Quite

The advancement

Over air

And underfoot

x

3

x

Maybe that’s my

Secret hobbit name

Mister Underfoot for when

I’m on clandestine

Business

Eschewing riders

Not from Rohan

But from Mordor

Or

The busybodies

By daylight

x

C L Couch

x

x

Image by Micha from Pixabay 

x

0

two brief poems, unrelated (well)

(x = space)

x

x

two brief poems, unrelated (well)

x

x

Spirited

x

What shall God

Have for us today?

x

A new assignment?

x

A day to read up

Instead?

x

A list of prayer so long

Indeed

x

Indeed

We’ll need the day,

Its focused energy for

Intercessions?

x

A day to encounter

Creation

Specially,

To consider all the wonder

And to play?

x

Or this day

Might be a day

Like all days

To love God and each other,

Not a suggestion

Or an option

But direction

Limited by human will

Alone

x

Though

Admittedly

As people in the world

With

Myriad possibilities

There are days

When it’s hard

Or when it’s easier

To love

x

Which might be why

There’s both

Expression

And redemption

Available

At will

All the time

x

x

At the Bottom of the Hour

x

Could we do the news

In halves

So that

There’s bad followed by

As much good?

x

The readers

And

The ratings

Would be fine

x

We sponsor and produce as if

We believe

Good is automatic

While bad

Is creative

And so (bad) more attention-worthy

x

Though

The presumption is

Ironically

Disingenuous;

We know

By now

That bad is not

Exceptional

And good could stand more press

x

So by halves

Coverage of good and bad

(for some reason

in

the discourse

bad then good),

Well,

It would not be

(hah)

So bad

x

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

x

0

2 disclosing pieces

(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

2

haiku (more)

(x = space)

x

x

haiku

x

1

slow nature inside

plants grow in unsure seasons

ours darkness or light

x

2

unsurely outside

winter by a calendar

summer another

x

3

creature on a branch

cardinal or squirrel set

then fly or skitter

x

C L Couch

x

x

(like those earlier, these haiku can relate to each other, though I doubt there is a rule about connection; or each haiku may stand alone, which I guess is more traditional)

x

Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash

x

0

haiku

(x = space)

x

x

haiku

x

1

twenty pages in

the need to gaze and breathe out

outside for elsewhere

x

2

city-wise black trees

darkened too the sky-wept street

nature go with tears

x

3

after rain is haze

exhale into clarity

newly gifts of night

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Emil Widlund on Unsplash

x

0

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