playing favorites
in the ninth chapter
my favorite Bible story
when the parent
comes to Jesus
for
the child who needs healing
who is thrown by fits
into fire
such an extreme for healing to
which Jesus
says
believe and the child be renewed
to
which the parents
must reply
I believe
and help my unbelief
the formula presented
yet
before Jesus especially
even to doubt
but must
be honest
and the response from Jesus is
that
the child is healed
not that epileptics must be healed
though sick children
from whatever
reason
should be
and for all we are and all we aren’t
we have to open all our hopes
and fears
before the Lord
versing
my second favorite
is a cluster of
verses
from the Psalms about a third through
the verses about
creating a clean hearts
a heart that
is in me
by God
by God
in fact
to renew
as has been made
create in me a clean heart
O God
and renew a right spirit with me
and
cast me not away from they presence
and take not
thy holy spirit
from
me
again
an honest plea
for healing of the self
I guess
even to be close ‘mid all the snares
outside the circle
working in
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(for the series, from Mark 9 and Psalm 51)
photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
starting on Saint Patrick Day
for the Irish family
what if God tends to clay
atop a color wheel
smooths hard at first
in
dealing with the ground
of dust
then gestures artful and tender
giving shape
and then some drying and some glazing
even
through a fire
so tempered then
to set on Earth
for
beauty and for usefulness
beauty
in the spirit
and so inspired living
was
turned
tempered
having been crucibled
at
first
perhaps
against adulterations like those that somehow
infiltrated Eden
anyway
now
on an Earth of love
and also peril
sometimes one turned to the other
and
yet throughout the hope for
aging
maybe patina or to fall cracked
and thus required by
reconciliation
gold in the cracks in the Japanese
way
that shows the way
all a metaphor
except
the ground is real
so is God
so are we
so is the process that
repairs
and bears us home redeemed
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photo by Egor Myznik on Unsplash
3 poems from books of hours
sorry bugs
bugs
I grieve when they’re not
where
they should be
say
in the ground
away in the water somewhere
flying
plant
to
plant and seeking shelter where it’s best
they hive
I mean bugs general
any kind
though my local infestation
around
the sink this morning was
small ants so small they might be something
else
and bugs
like reptiles
sometimes birds
have a surprise upon appearing
as
they do
most often without preamble
announcement of any kind
except
to know just after
they arrive
and
yes
the building’s old I rent part of and hardly
looked after
pristine
and the weather has collapsed upon itself from
cold to hot to cool to
I’m not sure what it is
right
now
for having campaigned ‘round the plumbling
over counterwork
sigh
what is that inutile line
why can’t we all get along
well
sometimes
in plague or in invasion
we can’t
do so much either side but endure
sigh
rites of spring
one things about spring
it seems
is many cultures have their special days
maybe not
or
perceived now
because to the north
at least
it seems that with the tilting of the Earth
the other way
with
warmer comes outside life for
those hibernated if in suburban ways
since
when
maybe October or November
as if there were a frame
beginning
lunar years
and
going through midsummer
when the festivals are prominent
Buddhist
Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
Christian
and those are the few I know something of
if not so much beyond
acquaintance
you may name your
own
to share
though this world is more knowing
universally
well
globally
we may take part
in action and respect
as
the observing part of loving
our neighbors
as I believe
all of our codes
apply
and
of course
there are three seasons’ worth to celebrate
in all our special
ways
and
yes
to the south
they have so much to teach by transmission as
we
have need to learn
to enjoy the spiritual rites and
faires along
and
yes
I leave out so many things in
presenting what’s forefront of and
between
such special times
Theodore Edward
and a final thought
to have
though you might have been wishing
I were done
before
but I’m wondering why
we
make cute stories and cute
toys
out of things we have to exploit
or even fear from time
to time
and
I guess it’s human
as is assigned
in
class
to anthropomorphize
to make human out of unhuman fauna
flora
entities and substances here
to wherever
and
who wouldn’t want the option of a teddy bear
except those
maybe
who live near fear of bears
all the time
and
maybe even then
the sun
snowflakes
flowers
mammals
reptiles
from all the batches of things or things
that
seem to go alone
and maybe we fear less with toys
and so
act more knowing when
it’s time
I don’t know
and what for an alternative
geometric
maybe
as in
don’t forget to bring your stuffed cube along
or
rhomboid
or hexagon
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photo by michael podger on Unsplash
and it is
And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Charles Wesley
set
to a tune that courses
too
encouraging the soul
even through chastisement
of the Cross
ignoble death
that we
might live
beyond
and into a life renewed
even with heaven
and
with Earth
like what the waiting’s for
by heroes in
great lore
by
each as we might sleep and wait
as well
who knows what purgatory sharing
or in the rescue
the harrow should provide
amazing love
how can it be
but is
for each
and every
and
yes
every
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photo by Megan O'Hanlon on Unsplash
2 poems for a Friday in Lent
the ungood Friday
well through Lent
it could be Good Friday
since it is
the season so we’ll be associating
anyway
and this is an irony of good as
well
as there’s a featureless covering of gray
lacking definition
and for a word
would mean no meaning
gray to hear
gray inside as well
there is no joy under here
we scurry
rather
not like rats
rats scurry like us
a blank day without mercy like
that good
day
enacted
coming in two Fridays or so
above all other
word
the word is genesis
to tell the story
and
to have the story happen
first enacting
word that makes
that made
and keeps on creating
the word that is a person
and a telling
with
an action
all words subserve
as all matter underserves the perfect
omnipresent
a word
who is
such power in a unit of some letters
though from the alphabet
of God and should
there be another word
well
there could be three words
to realize
all others
and
by way of existing first
for all should offer meaning
as
words do
though taking care
as these words insist
and if you want
read
the first of John and following
aware of oddity regarding
words that
act
with nothing but the word
to make things happen
one little word shall fell him.
4 That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
(translated) Martin Luther contending with “prince of darkness”
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photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
smooshing contraries to have a holiday
good
day to hide eggs
if we can borrow cloaks from Lórien
then
under cloud and camouflaged
ready the games for
our
children of all ages
somehow the eggs go with the rabbit though
rabbits have kits outright
say
for metaphor
add the circle too
for more
than cycles
but
to represent inclusion
even
of eggs and chocolate with the hiding
and outright deliveries left somehow
to rabbits
put all of Easter
inside
and
silly rabbits
for taking part beyond their species
extra work for other sorts
and
yet delegation send to Bunnytown
to
thank the mayor of our playsets
and all
the color and the tasty
things found or
otherwise received
and
oh
yes
church on Aster’s morning by
our new name
which to begin and end
honestly
means a lot
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(William Blake writes about embracing contraries)
photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash
the hard and easy life
yet
God is not a spoilsport
as Liddell
says
if only in the movie
God likes
say
and when celebrates in muscle
and in mind
and in
fair conviction
soccer
the world’s game
Rook
the card game Southerners allow
the pleasures in a holiday
the love
we bear each other
God is the god of pleasure as well
as meaning
and simply pleasure to own
as
a creation and
pursuit
some
might say incidental or
byproduct
but
we know who created fun
and
yes
the good clean kind
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(line from Chariots of Fire)
photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
it is you
I hope it’s you
though I don’t know you yet
but
I could say
is it you
while you could say to me
the same
so if Eve should know
Adam
or reclassify participants
there might be
a garden innocence
about
it
to call it practical
seduction
moral
romance
a merging of our Eden attributions
even
in the inexorable fall
and need to reconcile
our
productivity with our peace
our useful
loves
with love that has no reason
but its own
to exist
and to take over
if
avowed
after all
what did her letter mean
but love conquers
crazy firm
and
keeping against all mortality
as if eternity were here
with us
as well
and it is
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photo by Anya Chernykh on Unsplash
feed
such a pretty moment
when I got
to sit in a friend’s chair
sipping guest
coffee
watching and hearing birds
around the feeders
and of these
there was a small brown
and
a black one
and I wish I knew more
as
my grandfather knew
who
charted birds
when the Department
of Interior had
been
formed
yet I don’t know the species
sigh
there was a bird with a bright hood
which was a woodpecker
I think
and one flyer a small pigeon to
me
anyway
and there came a squirrel
which did not
scurry anything away
but
picked at the ground with its paws
the ways the birds
had used
their beaks
and
through air on branches
on the earth
so maybe everyone got satisfied
and also
was pleased
thanks
friend
for the chair
the coffee
and the hour
so
I could think
My Lord
what a morning
as fresh sun strikes the trees
and feeding happened
for
the birds and other critters
in metal branches
and what is
tied
all over and on
for gleaning of the sun-rinsing
ground
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photo by Bill Pennell on Unsplash
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