common book of prayer
God
forgive me
and help me
and is this so bad
a prayer
not
to utter most days
to start
or sometime throughout
it’s my
common prayer
as if I kept a common book
from which
I read
depending on the hours
it’s presuming
I suppose
if
asking
belief that God will forgive
and
God will help
and maybe the two-step isn’t needed
since
God might help me
anyway
not waiting for even personally determined
forms of doctrine
for
the hours
c l couch
photo by kevin turcios on Unsplash
“Ain’t no love in the heart of the city.”
San Francisco (USA)
after drafting
sigh
have I said something for you
yet
not that it’s a desperation
yet
well
but relevance
a reaching out
to find acceptance
more
so alliance
well
to be in touch
at least
and maybe most
if
by the aptitudes we have
and hope
your
reaction might be good
good for you
that is
maybe your conviction
certainly your more plainly passing through
the day
go
well
if not
if I may say
go better
as you often make a day
better
for me
and thank you
and what
do you know
we’re here
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photo by Brandi Redd on Unsplash
2 poems about angels
angels at the apocalypse
they all be working
I imagine
though I guess there could be some
held in reserve
I don’t know if our angels will have time for us
but then
I don’t know how many there are
even
if a third fell
how do we count these
and I doubt on
the head of a pin
Jesus said
legions
but he was audience-aware
maybe we’ll have our guardians on
assignment
still
with enough to fill the final battlefield
archangels
leading
taking care of their eldritch own
and all good beings might
weep
in
conquest
and by victory
ourfield
the wings are never long enough
not wide enough
not
wild enough
you’ll note
that birds
except the hummingbird phenomenon
tend toward having
twice
with length of wings as of
their bodies and how
much
more majestic
fearful
wings proportional unfolding from the centers
of the angels
we rarely indicate their power
or
the awe they should invoke
if
a fraction of the might of
their maker
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photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
“Angels in the Outfield,” a story by Richard Conlin, which began a film franchise
wet day unterrible outside
the dropping points of willow green
drip into gray
rendering the name of tree
worthwhile
a good name if metaphor
if anthropomorphizing
making
people out of trees
not by Ovid’s recollection
working
rather by our skill at changing
the tree into person
not the sap
but
tears that weep
the willow is Old Man
the trees throw apples
‘cause
they’re cross with the travelers to
Oz
and so in our wonderlands
we make more
of what we sense
from
ordinary
so that there’s more insightful
and triumphant
to wonder in
the land
if
crying
angry natures
to encounter
c l couch
(us from fatherland, more often motherland)
photo by S L on Unsplash
(the image was for another but then co-wrought the following)
choose the moon
lasso it first
only
George to Mary
while
the rest of us must find it first
the moon
and how to capture it
or
leave it go and choose to go with it
as it should fly through sky
and
we walk the horizon
to follow its way until morning and then at last
we shall know
what
to do
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photo by Steve Busch on Unsplash
the drama
we are born of the Earth
breathed through
with
divine exhalation
we rise
one and then the other
we are introduced and given tasks
care for the
garden
name things or else we did that
on our own
but meet with God
all the time
and live the spirit in the mean time
and somehow Satan or
the devil
or whatever you might call it
was
allowed in and allowed a role
maybe for the first
time
this was the start of the revellion
the devil trusted
as archangel
only for
a little while
longer and what damage it could
do before caught out
and such ruination happened
it seems we blamed each other more
than the writhing thing
though
the demon part in our exitence
should carry on and taken
through to the midst of Armageddon
when
as prophecy decided
and yet played out
there is a final battle between
Michael and
itself
when it is thrown for good
out of sight
only to dwell in God’s mind over lost
creation
and lost love
while our redemption is at hand
to do our part
believe
accept the grace of mercy
as
a fitness for heaven
and
the Earth renewed
who knows
maybe for us
to have the home we’ve had as
the home that was made
except
for evil’s and
for will’s intrusion following
the evil
as well as inventing our own
now
the Earth anew
as on another world the ideal might be
ancient
but now for us and for all the days
succeeding
move forward with everything that’s good we have
and
love our lives in every way
each other and by mercy
means of grace
return to the communion that was the way
even the style
of Eden
c l couch
photo by Boudhayan Bardhan on Unsplash
final question
what shall we say
briefly
of salvation
that it’s for everyone
everyone
as
John 3:17 affirms in an impressive
way
not Christians alone
and
Christians might not make it
There being no carte blanche
no
market cornered on salvation with us
any more than
saving grace
is ours to give
because
it isn’t
done and given by God
alone
and to whomever
feeling preachy
‘cause it’s
Sunday
I suppose
I mean it is
Sunday
no suppose that and what might
explain my pedantry on
spiritual matters other days
but
well
it is
and shall I say then
if
spiritual that
God loves you
and
however I might do badly or well
I love you
c l couch
photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
“Heart in the Woods”
to offer to go through it
and how much does the mood affect the day
and it’s the other
way
around
how much the day affects the mood
we wake into something
after all
the attitude
the realities we carry
then
come new hours and could be restful
though we’ll apply
our contemporary value of
busyness
to show our worth and get our pay
could
be another day
that might require countercultural
even
a resistance
one by one and could be
a movement
call
it faith
or church
to grow
that creation is profit enough
Blake’s energy as
eternal
delight
electric belief through spirit
with believe in what and who is made
and
consider smallest with
the occasional huge
way to love
as God is love
and
yes
there are the hard parts
the world sometimes is not only vain but
tries what it decides
must be
the time to kill
another’s
spirit
take a life
call the war a victory costing many
for the few
much
for a little
same time to raise
sacrifice
as
service
for the soldier
for
the parent
and the children all around
as all are children
in
a learning state
and so inexorably to grow and change
if
not stopped
short
and transfer students go
to God
but here for us here
we
make our choices
study maybe and instinctively
apply
speed citations
fearsome courts
war crimes
loneliness
failure
even to breathe less
so to have yet
want
to have
and having’s good
it’s the bending to change into
unrecognizable
except
as
satiation
even though God invented pleasure
and offers joy
and
yes
by faith
that’s all
well
not all
but believe in God and live by love
understanding and applying
that
love is practical
and strong
and makes mistakes
and can open to repentance and
to making up
with
everyone
involved
which might lift prayer
as a resource when something’s unreachable
and
yet some repair
required
somehow
which is love
too
strong and practical
available at no cost
whomever
on Earth might say there’s cost
beyond
grace provided everywhere
and
always
and our own will and energy invested
God is love
we should believe
and try love
too
there
that’s it or enough for now
for
now
c l couch
[all the nows counting and piling toward eternity]
“Energy is eternal delight.” Attributed aphorism (if not axiom), William Blake.
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Santiago, Chile
my friend’s surgery was “good” (friend’s word); now he’s recovering, the recovery being complex and uncomfortable
thank you for prayers and good thoughts; any such that could be offered or given toward recovery would be really appreciated—Christopher
2 poems that deal in prayer
what we ask
I sin
and God is with me
loving me
though not approving
I don’t think
I ask the psalmist’s ask
and will receive
not
because I’m David
or a prophet or
a choirmaster for the court
but because
I ask
and God is love
(say from Psalm 51)
in prayer
and
do we get what we ask
gee
I don’t know
though if I had to guess I’d
say
the answer’s yes
yes
we do
all
right
unless we ask for evil
or we make evil
sinful good
and so deceive ourselves and then
beseech
but
you know
God’s rather smart
having
invented smart
and though God’s old
there’s nothing feeble to typify
as
sometimes we stay keen
all the way through
and God
stay keen forever
having
invented keen
as well and also I believe that God
is
yes
old
but also as young
as young as now
so about asking
and
what we ask for tends to be good
which might
surprise
and so
we’ll get that
we will get
the good
c l couch
photo by Luise and Nic on Unsplash
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