stuckpoint
do you get stuck
sometimes I do
and how hard is it
to move away
though sometimes
I stay there for a while
a place of excuses
justified
yet maybe an honest break
is called for
and then a ridge or a wall
or other barrier
maybe not so tall
to cross
but must be overcome
to get back out again
ever feel this way
sometimes I do
and if I parse myself
and we can do this
then part of me might
stay here for a while
and so the rest of me performs
or tries at least out there
c l couch
photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash
simplicity itself
something
short and simple
if not sweet
for
God is long and complex
but likes short and simple
too
I’m thinking
I love you
I made you
I made you out of love
and now for love
fallen
as the Calvinists propound
and sorry that
that happened though
not sorry
for the will in your
and so
love struggles
not in me
though I mourn
and
yes
and anger in perfection
that is mine
still hoping for love
each time
on Earth
as is
and as we might be waiting
all of us
‘til time
c l couch
photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
sun day
I’m supposed to write of God
today
it being Sunday
and I told myself
directly about spiritual things
on
Sunday
being the day
you know
for that
then what happens tomorrow
when
it’s Monday and the untrending grudge
(or is it grunge)
returns
with six more days
‘til another break
for heaven or
at least for
heavenly consideration
well
today I think on God
because by experience it’s obvious
and I’ll even think on church
though
that bond
over time as well as exploitation
has become more and more tenuous
and what of God
whom we don’t know
or even
intimacy with Christ
which hardly seems appropriate
to think
Christ is our pal
with ironically the Spirit
the closes part
of God
we know even less
which might speak to knowing ourselves
and yet
we have the caveat
not
to dwell on self against all other
preoccupations
and yet
two sides of the equation
to love neighbor
and self
preceded by the command
not
nice suggestion
that we love God first
which sounds like law
and is
though we know
well the only kind of law we get
on Earth
that sometimes is filtered
through mercy
as well as
justice
sometimes realizing these are the same
in fact
though mostly laws and lawmakers
who serve self
not the good self
or self’s
agenda
first
well
I started back on Sunday
and it’s
still Sunday
a day of value because
it’s the now
we have
and could be Monday
any day
that’s the now
we have
and God is over us
and as we want
God
through us
and how much
so very
agonizing much
must God
be waiting
for faith to start and also faith
to live
beyond the start
sigh
so believe in God
in spite of all our
well
things of us
that get in the way
of our being us
or things of the world
that do the same
and also
take us from
the love we have in God
self
and each other
about as
simple as it gets
really
God made everything
and us
and it as “good” by God
to have done so
or add an exclamation point by
James Weldon Johnson
and
things went wrong
and
don’t blame anyone but everyone
fell to the extent
that over ages
we’re still measuring
though as far as goes
can get up
whenever
meaning whenever
ask God
for help
and even for the life
and is in thanks
to offer service
to the good
as one is able
and let one work that out
with God
not for perfection
yet
but for redemption
yes
and also frankly
the delight
in the pleasures of the moments
with having the better way
for
the other moments
then on to delight
and
did God say
(and did)
peace and joy
even
now
if in irony with the world
the promises good things yet
does not
know them
really
but life with God
now
and was it mentioned
(and it was)
a life to come
that we should know has come
already to
the saints before us
and
small “s”
that is
for the sants among us
as us
now
c l couch
photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Grace Fully
So believe
If you will
And only as you will
Grace
That makes faith real
Is offered freely
And
Exists regardless
Believe in God or do not
Same
With the life of faith
After and
With belief
And
Don’t let any tell you
Another person
Anyway
That he or she dispenses grace
If only you subscribe
Grace
And also faith
Don’t work
That way
The first need being only
You and God
Should you choose
And
Should you accept
Then there is the life of faith
In which you might choose
Healthy
Earthly affiliation
And while to have and keep
Sadly
It’s not
To say the faithful life is easy all the time
While
Through it all
The obstacles
Worldly
Self-styled
Do promise
Spiritually
Well
The Spirit’s ease
And even peace and joy
Be the judge of grace
And faith
To start with God or
Not
And
Don’t let any other take the judging role
Except God
And then remember God is truth
And also
God
Is love
I heard once that church should be rejected because it claims to dispense grace—and also, as such, the church charges something (membership, money, doctrinal adherence) in order to receive the grace if offers, if not dangles. But grace is not or ever owned this way. (Or owed, either.) Grace is from God, and grace is free. It is the free means to receive the saving favor of the Lord. As means or to exist at all, grace comes at no cost of ours, the price for grace, so to say, having in fact been paid by God. We are saved by faith in God. And as if faith were great art, grace is the frame.
C L Couch
Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash
“In the Park”
Kyiv, Украина
[haiku of the funeral]
common the remains
of by world and word a pope
framed in love to earth
c l couch
photo by Nicolas Weldingh on Unsplash
in waiting
waiting as in stillness plus
waiting as in serving
stillness
and serving
the God beside us
in waiting
is waiting
c l couch
Revelation 3:20
Revelation 21:5
photo by Yucel Moran on Unsplash
abduction
(a draft about salvation)
we were taken away
from Eden
with Edenic living
whose fault
we don’t know
maybe everyone’s
maybe not ours
so much
because we were not there
except in some spirit
time and space
possibility
now we are held captive
and there should be
a ransom
since kidnapping goes that way
some amount
some prize
according to abductors
who have caged us in deceit
to call it living
so who must pay
to whom
and how much
the price might be forever
be everything
anyone could have
and pay the price
the price paid
which was a final deception
a trip
in which the rescuer
now gone would leave the rescued
untenable
not fit for anything but fire
the infernal fire
which is to say fire upon fire to
the glee
of the one who thought
who planned
who entwined
and who
in fact
led the absconding or ourselves
and now in victory
having arranged the killing
of the only one to save
until
this moment
this moment when it
turned out
there was a reason for the death
and it was
to guarantee a life
one life
all
lives
together have the chance
now
to be saved
and what weeps and what
gnashes its teeth but a
planner
the abductor
who thought that killing it should mean the end
and it should now
but doesn’t
in that we may choose
faith in our own supernal return
the one returned
who offers the returning
to anyone
and as plus with anyone
becomes
an all
a following
angels and us
perhaps
in faith then
by grace
we return and then
even better yet move forward
to the gates of Eden now
angel-unassigned
shall become a new Eden and how about
gateway to new Earth
by new heaven
c l couch
photo by Peter Thomas on Unsplash
Mitzvah
God be with us
While
We’re parted
May I be good to you
As
You’ll be good
For me
May God keep us
Trusting all
Parts
Of this amenity
‘Til coming back together
For
Story-telling and
Renewal
C L Couch
Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash
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