many and great
third light tonight
third candle lit
two days
ago
the parent and the child
traditions
illuminating
the brother of Isaac has
a place
as well
and will acknowledge the same father
when
it’s time
and then east of east
there
are traditions birthing meditation
and unity in
consciousness
while
west
of here
that admittedly was here
there is understanding of an Earth
that’s borderless
flown over by trickster
Raven
and higher
lower more
the Great Spirit
so
too
those with not tradition or
acknowledge none plus
the followings so many
more
on Earth
so many ways to count
measure
this day
not as the stars
though
as people here might be grouped
or
on one’s own develop
a philosophy
as well
ways to know the Earth and
Lord
of Earth
and
sky
and us for making
and for being there
c l couch
(writing from the eastern USA)
from the Dakota Hymn
Many and great, O God, are thy works,
Maker of earth and sky;
Thy hands have set the heavens with stars;
Thy fingers spread the mountains and plains.
(Joseph Renville)
photo by Roberto Shumski on Unsplash
Let It Go
I should write early
Then release it
Each piece a journey
If a stroll
And like a tapestry
There’s thread
And there’s a loom
Something
On which something else
Is framed
The work
The weave
Go out in directions
And make patterns
And there are
The damaged parts
But it’s a
Piece at last
For all our senses
And
Overall
The sense in things
[here’s an example, first thing out most recent session, not revised to death—or life if it can’t reach]
Consideration of the Afterlife and Through-Life
So what happens next
The short answer is that we don’t know
The long answer is
We hear things
Saint Paul tells
There shall be no pain
And our bodies shall be perfect
Perfected
That is
Through some sort of transformation
Some new alignment of
The spirit and the flesh
We have stories from
Those who have
Gone
And then come back
And I don’t know
These stories
Seem
To go along with ancient texts
Of many traditions
Many followings
And
Do we translate somehow
Right away
And where might judgment be
How might it
Happen
Christians say there shall be
Advocacy
In what transpires
And that we could
Be secure of heaven
Not for being
Good
In an unerring way
But for belief
Solely by belief
Sola Dei
Sola Christus
Other groups have other ways
To understand and have
The same
To be respectful and to say
Sola-something else
Sola-someone else
We don’t know what we don’t know
But it seems
We do know things
Though it’s all
So abstract
And invisible
What happens
And criteria
Could be clearer
And frankly sensible
As in
Assuring to the senses
That we have
It all would be
Frankly
Less frightening
As well
But then our will would have no place
It seems
And for the loss of Eden
It also seems
That what we choose
Does matter
And there might be no higher stakes
In fact
Sigh
I wish it were all easier
Though even angels
Without will
We say
Manage to rebel
So all things choose
Perhaps
Nature chooses
In the changing seasons
In responding to
New
And ongoing circumstances
So try to believe
Appears to be the way
Do well
Do good
Because it’s better
More uplifting
More constructive
Evidencing of itself
The better way
Thinking
And feeling better
Too
Children
Believe
For we are all the children
And belief is our
Incumbency
Our legacy
Our lore
The words of God to tell
And evidence in
Nature
Clear enough for being made
By God
C L Couch
Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash
“And in death they were not divided. 2 Sam.1.23” (for translation programs)
baruch
Yom Kippur
that I don’t fully understand
but that is happening
now
sunset Friday
to nightfall
Saturday
(which is today)
and this year
no doubt
there will be praying for the closeness
of God
upon the hostages
held by Hamas
and not by the Palestinian people
generally
the day is for repentance
to ask forgiveness of
the Lord
so that we might be restored
and reconciled
but something I’ve been told is that
the day before
Erev Yom Kippur
is a day for asking forgiveness
of each other
we forgive each other
and then
we may ask forgiveness of God
ten days for repentance
actually
between Rosh Hashanah and
now
the Christian doctrinal story
is about
leaving one’s gift before the altar
to go
make up with one’s sibling
(should
there be conflict)
and thus being
truly
prepared
even according to priorities
to go to
present at the altar
to have time
with the Lord
and be open to fullest forgiveness
forgive each other first
then ask
forgiveness of God
I think that’s how the teaching goes
in two traditions
maybe more
I don’t
know
I could be wrong
of course
But might God bless
the devout
on Yom Kippur
and
direct us all toward
reconciliation
c l couch
photo by Jeanne Rouillard on Unsplash
(x = space)
x
x
Poor Evangelist
x
I am a Christian
x
I hope anyone who
Needs to know
For good or ill
Knows that
x
The things is
I don’t mind if you are not
x
In fact, if you are from
Another faith
I’ll find that interesting
And want
To know
Something of your story
x
It’s bad evangelism
I know
And I’ll be glad
Typically
To tell you more about my faith
x
But I am entrenched
(without the trenches)
With respect
x
I want
To respect your tradition
Or your lack of one
Or somewhere in between
x
I think this is what we need
In the world just now
x
With respect,
We might withhold our fingers
From the buttons
x
We might shut up our cant
Or rant
Instead to listen
x
Stories are personal
And of a people
x
After and while happening,
Most stories deserve
To be heard
x
Shut down the hate
To hear
And have your circle of perspective
And acceptance widened
x
Hope to be treated
The same way
And that the Earth will hold
Together
From our destructive devices
Not only military
While we listen
And by impulse,
The way we are constructed,
Learn
x
To say
To welcome
And to hear
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
x
(x = space)
x
x
a third poem
(3 poems about ecumenicity)
x
x
Later in the Day
x
All the traditions
I can’t name them
Do you need me to?
Hinduism
Buddhism
Taoism
Jainism
Pantheism
See? there are more
And these are not
The yellow pages
(a reference to a phonebook
of listings in the USA)
Who believes?
Who decides?
No one decides, I think
Though
There has to be veracity
In coming to the table
x
The sole, actual criterion
Aside from interest
In community
Larger than
One’s own
(globally large)
Being lack of violent intent
Or practice
At or on said table
x
There is risk
In all this, I know
Something precarious might happen
The clean-up will be prodigious
The pan might flash
But given consequences
More so the promises
To ourselves
And the generations following
Risk worth taking,
Don’t you think?
x
Meet you there
x
C L Couch
x
x
by NASA/JPL-CaltechThe original uploader was SnoopY at English Wikipedia. – http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03520Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1134766
x
(x = space)
x
x
I Wish I Knew More
x
I wish I knew more
Of the Quran
Of the Torah
Of the Talmud
And the Mishnah
(maybe a smidgen
of Kabbalah)
The Vedas
And the Upanishads
Other texts that have inspired
And informed
Other traditions than
My own followings
x
I mean,
I’ve read
Here and there
I’ve listened to stories
Listened
To people talking
But I wish I knew
So much more
For appreciation
And understanding
It’s a big world
Multifarious and changing
While many things
Were established
Long ago
x
I have a twig
There is a tree
I have a drop
There is an ocean
x
C L Couch
x
x
Photo by Basil Lade on Unsplash
x
clcouch123 
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