(x = space)

x

x

ring

x

God is here

thank goodness

God is there

in Ukraine

in war

and Morocco

split earth

many lives taken

x

in the hundred-plus

degree days

in Texas

for those

trying to live there

and before the hurricane

call one Lee

while we are in ships

on land

securing

waiting

knowing there will be destruction

during

and after

re-life-building

keening

grieving

for the loss of us

anywhere

x

we still wait for freedom

God approves

and works resistance

and diplomacy

risks offense

Jesus was offensive

and still turns

the heads of certain people

x

souls

and daily lives

devotion on a string

that breaks

that someone cuts

to ruin

or to barricade

x

God persists

in presence

in numbers

yes

God has the Earth

all given satellites

and other worlds

but take it one by one

even

with respect

and certainly with truth

the kind a Pilate

may not know

or want to know

x

debate

sure

work your fallacies

and jaw agendas

or shut up

shut down

look at the world

with any

and all senses

in all seasons

x

God is there

you won’t believe

and it’s a place to start

like rain

to put out our fires

snow to cool the deserts

or fire

parametered

to thaw the frozen

x

listen

talk

give up

what must be given up

yes

me

too

x

enough grammar to share

and all civility

that’s dignified

respectful

God will take us there

as in the wilderness

the chaos

we can no longer

count

because the crazy overwhelms

sometimes

x

God is here

sorry

we can go rounds on this

or leave it go

experience it

or not

we could step over this

to save in our ways

that are constructive

building up

that is

tearing down what only

tears down

x

love and live the rest

even God might say

that is enough

for now

stepping around

certain stanzas

that divide

unusefully

not for distinction

or thick conformity

x

rather the unique

formal

free

x

C L Couch

x

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Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

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