tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57088963721130807092024-03-05T13:39:14.574-08:00Diversions...Poetic roads less traveled...Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-55081499691407223332012-12-22T14:35:00.000-08:002012-12-22T14:35:28.457-08:00Chasing Santa<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Grandpa, what are you doing out here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">He was standing in the snow</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">leaning a couple long 2x4’s</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">against the house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I was chasing Santa Claus,”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">he explained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Almost had him too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">He handed me one of the</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">biggest sleigh bells</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’d ever seen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then he showed me </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">two long, straight depressions in the snow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Santa’s sleigh had taken off</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">seconds before I burst out the back door</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in hot pursuit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Grandpa was a right jolly old elf</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">but not the one I was chasing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We walked back inside</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">recounting our versions of the evening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Grandpa stayed home to ambush Santa</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">while the rest of us</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">drove around looking for him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">After 15 or 20 minutes, someone yelled,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“LOOK! Rudolph’s
nose!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">He’s heading toward Grandma and Grandpa’s house!!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We whipped the car around,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">blazed home, and ran inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the living room, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">presents spilled from</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the outstretched limbs of</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the glittering Christmas tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Kids and grown-ups alike </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">dove into the pile,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">divvying up the loot and ripping open packages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But I kept running.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just ahead I heard jingling and laughter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">My heart and step quickened</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">as I strained to lay hold of</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">or even glimpse</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the mystery</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">cloaked in red.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was close, so close…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">but not as close as Grandpa,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">who plucked the jangling fruit</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">now in my hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was still in my hand</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">as I fell asleep that night</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">while my new toys lay elsewhere,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">half-forgotten.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But in the morning, the bell was gone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“It’s a magic bell,” my mother explained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Santa’s bells are so special</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">they only stay for the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then they disappear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Years later, I learned</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Grandpa had no idea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was chasing him</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">as he ran out the back door</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">ringing that bell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">No one expected me to do that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">He barely had time</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">to get the 2x4’s out of the snow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The sleigh bell was a gift from a German friend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It seemed there was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">an explanation for everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But what made me </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">dash past presents</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in pursuit of something </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’d never seen?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDOspbqGbbT9TdeeOwUcLWlYc4Gss7R_NEIQNYPQ7X1fY9t3GZqcjcMiQ7df_iZ39XCnthAtZjBEtOC7zcZTJSrB5WqLAfLMefJ7J1g0HvpqInZq9HfLkVOLdvAxux-osEH21kLlDgDUW/s1600/60mm_rusty_tin_sleigh_bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I suppose</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">truth always rings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">just ahead of us</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and gives us reason</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">to run.</span></div>
<br />Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-19558253203244484162012-11-22T16:17:00.001-08:002012-12-01T19:21:01.256-08:00Driving through the Fog<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Driving
through the fog<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">this
morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Visibility
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">is
less than 100 feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in
any direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
can’t see where I’m going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s
all just white<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">like
a blank canvas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Shadows
grow into dark shapes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">that
suggest<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">things
ahead:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">trees,
houses, telephone poles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But
I can’t really see<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">anything<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">until
I’m almost to it,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and
I never know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">which
way<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the
road will take me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In
my rearview mirror<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">(which
isn’t much bigger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">than
a photograph)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
see those things<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">that
are behind me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As
I get further<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">past,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">details
become hazy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and
colors fade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Soon,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">there
are just phantoms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">slipping
into the fog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking
back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">won’t
get me anywhere <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">but
in the ditch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since
I’m uncertain about<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">what’s
ahead,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
slow up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There’s
still a ways to go<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">so
I look around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and
think about<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">my
plans for the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As well
as I am able,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
pass the time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">that
is left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and
continue <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">through
the fog.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-49142757520887426892012-09-03T19:17:00.000-07:002012-09-03T19:17:43.882-07:00County Fair<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s as if</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">someone sprinkled magic seed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">overnight….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Summer’s last flower—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the Ferris wheel—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">pops up</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in the fallow fairgrounds,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">followed by a whole</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">garden of earthly delights:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Roller coasters</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">snake and twine</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">like enchanted vines,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the carousel blooms </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in smiling colors,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and the sweet fragrance </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">of cotton candy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">drifts</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">invitingly on the breeze.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">For almost a week</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the whole town</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">lies under a spell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But one morning,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">quick as a hypnotist </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">can snap, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">people wake</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">to find the fairgrounds</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">empty,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">the sky powdered by clouds</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">like a blackboard just</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">erased,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">and, in the place</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">where the Ferris wheel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">was,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">leaves turning</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">end over end</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">in the breeze.</span></div>
Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-15180306593719124522012-05-26T21:16:00.000-07:002012-05-26T21:16:50.577-07:00Doing Nothing<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The coffee shop is lit and alive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Music pumps, pulses, and circulates.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hands dance and heads bob in conversation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Behind the counter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">it’s all cha-ching and movement—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">strictly business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My eyes wander out the window</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">across from me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s black out there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ghosts of the hanging lamps inside</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">float in the blackness;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">trees swirl in a wind</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">made silent</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">by the glass,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and I’m out there—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">a reflection</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">adrift in the dark, wild silence—</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">looking in.</span>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-67752826874628092572012-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:002012-04-18T22:37:41.662-07:00Narrowing Sonnet<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Could we put oceans in a cup,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">a desert in an hour-glass,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the skies in a falling rain-drop,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the planets in a marble-bag,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">it wouldn’t touch the Lord,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">swaddled in a body,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">who also humbly wore</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the girdle of our laws,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">was threaded through</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the streets of Jews,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">endured the spit</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and then was split</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">like hairs</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">of truth.</span>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-86500645413812077572012-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:002012-02-06T20:13:00.861-08:00Good Friday (for Dad)<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems like a misnomer</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
at first,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
or a bit of black humor…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good” Friday….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the day when betrayal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
came with a kiss;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the day when the seconds were marked</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
by whip-cracks,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and hammers tolled</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
like bells;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the day that clouds closed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
like eyelids over a dying sun;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the day the earth shook</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
as if in a sieve.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(as if it wasn’t</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“good” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
enough already), </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
it is also the day</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
you died.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A tomb sealed with a stone…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A coffin nailed shut…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A grave covered with dirt…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good news is</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
this is as dark as it gets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). </span></div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-17166628607460436692011-11-30T20:33:00.001-08:002011-12-05T20:51:44.937-08:00Waiting for Snow<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCbgzGuASmwcKSykGm5eRVSXh7Mdns8Wbkw-_yNE54wypPxfrce55WF4CyURZsKJ9tJE76GTKqJRYrY0rlGn2u7JC6KT9n1kgdGtCvOgaR-OBq8NSmnZ2zrIi07kBrnyAyXjDtmdwxil0/s1600/SSA59493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCbgzGuASmwcKSykGm5eRVSXh7Mdns8Wbkw-_yNE54wypPxfrce55WF4CyURZsKJ9tJE76GTKqJRYrY0rlGn2u7JC6KT9n1kgdGtCvOgaR-OBq8NSmnZ2zrIi07kBrnyAyXjDtmdwxil0/s400/SSA59493.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<h1 style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal;">“WHAT
A GYP!!”</span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">With
raised fist and gnarled face<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
accuse the skies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
have been waiting for snow,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">wishing
for snow,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">praying,
hoping, and fishing for snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
have been daring snow,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">oh
where-ing snow, and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(for
reverse psychology’s sake)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">not-give-a-care-ing
snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">All
this and not one single flake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">But
as my fist drops and my eyes come back to earth,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
sigh,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">“God
knows best.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And
this is the proof:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">that
between the second coming<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and
the fall of man,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
can get so worked up about something<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">like
the weather,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and
can fill a book with idle words<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">by
which to be judged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(Did
I say not one single flake?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Well,
there might be one here…)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Yet,
I believe you understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I
believe you do not think it petty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">to
be a man,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">or
to care for the sparrow,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">or
to pour artistry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">into
the icy iron-work<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">whose
feathery falling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">makes
winter crunch deliciously<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">like
the year’s dessert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">For
this season<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">you
precipitated:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">spirit
crystallized as flesh,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">deity
danced where the wind willed—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">out
from its cloudy veil,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">down
through empty skies,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and
into arms that waited<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">faithfully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-14118038736377450182011-07-21T23:08:00.000-07:002011-07-21T23:08:16.163-07:00The Wind and the Shadows<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Around 2:00 AM</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I hear the wind roaring </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">as it brawls</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">with anything and everything</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">in its path.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>God knows where that came from</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For awhile I try to ignore it</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and go back to sleep.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But after half an hour,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I give up</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and go to the kitchen</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">for a glass of water.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On the way back to bed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I pause in the living room,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">which seems to glower</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">in the moonlight</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">shining through the windows.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been a long night.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Since I can’t sleep</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I sit down on the couch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Outside,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">the wind rages</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and rounds on itself</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">in the dark,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">filling the room with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">shadows</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">that hold my gaze</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">as they lash out</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and gesture furiously.</span>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-3632733042202098932011-05-16T11:20:00.000-07:002011-05-16T11:20:13.335-07:00Hymne to God the Father*<div class="MsoNormal">Before time</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>your counsels chose</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>that you would lose</div><div class="MsoNormal">eternal ties</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>with your one</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>and only Son.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not sparing Him,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>you let the whips</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>fall and the blood drip.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Judges condemned</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>as the priests quipped.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On a dark hill,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>like Abraham,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>you left your Lamb.</div><div class="MsoNormal">No bright angel</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>unveiled a ram</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">snared in thickets</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>by its horns.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Instead, the thorns</div><div class="MsoNormal">on Christ’s head caught</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>the sacrifice</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>of God’s own life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nails split</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His wrists and feet</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>and severed sweet</div><div class="MsoNormal">communion, which</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>left you bereaved.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not even birth</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>pangs compare to</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>what you went through</div><div class="MsoNormal">at your Son’s death.</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Abba, thank you.</span><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">*The form of this poem was borrowed from <i>Hymne to God the Father</i> by Ben Jonson.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> See Ben Jonson's poem here: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://4umi.com/jonson/hymn">http://4umi.com/jonson/hymn</a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928617393864022532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-41558446179402691242011-01-15T23:30:00.000-08:002011-01-15T23:30:16.195-08:00Triptych: A Tree in Three Seasons<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Atop a hill there is a weathered oak<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">whose listless limbs spread so wide it seems<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">to hang by them and not to stand. It’s bark<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">is scarred by whips of wind, by scratching beasts,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">by birds that pierce its trunk with beaks. When fall<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">arrives, a crimson stain spreads to all<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">the leaves. They slowly trickle down beneath<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a blanching sky, and then, leaf by leaf,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">their reddish carpet covers up the ground. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that with the leaves a peace descends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The breeze breathes a sigh, perhaps relieved<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and ready to forget how summer lived<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">intemperately. But seasons change. Amends<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">are made. What was before cannot be found.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">II.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Like a single, massive stone, clouds<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">roll in heavily overhead, sealing<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">everything in the darkened earth. Stealing<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">downward, ashen snowflakes fill the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Hours later, the landscape is buried<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">under whitish mounds. The oak tree’s<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">limbs, covered in snow, slowly ossify<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">in the breathless, frozen air. Nearby,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">icicles curl over a stream, gripping<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">its banks like the fingers of a glass<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">skeleton. The sun turns its vacant stare <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">on the clouds, helpless to move them. Everywhere, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">silence keeps its secrets, and the days pass.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Winter is here: grave, still, and waiting.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">III.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Early morning—like the first day<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">of creation—waits in dark mystery<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">for the light. The dawn paints gradually<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">on its black canvass: first gray,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">then color returns to the world’s <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">face like a man reviving. All<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">winter long, the land has drunk the cold,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">melting snow. Underground, in small<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">gaps and crevices, things sprout and grow,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">nourished by the runoff. Flora raises<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">above ground, beyond the earth’s hold.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Limbs outstretched, the oak stands in bold <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">relief, suddenly shot through with the sun’s rays,<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;">which crown spring and renew everything below.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-79300097796541004502010-07-17T19:33:00.000-07:002010-07-17T19:33:09.279-07:00Crux<div class="MsoNormal">Here—</div><div class="MsoNormal">where clouds overhead</div><div class="MsoNormal">and crowds at your feet</div><div class="MsoNormal">thicken into an untimely</div><div class="MsoNormal">darkness—</div><div class="MsoNormal">you can’t tell</div><div class="MsoNormal">miracle from murder,</div><div class="MsoNormal">blessing from curse,</div><div class="MsoNormal">God from your enemy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here—</div><div class="MsoNormal">where vultures overhead</div><div class="MsoNormal">and priests at your feet</div><div class="MsoNormal">circle, waiting for a</div><div class="MsoNormal">body—</div><div class="MsoNormal">you can’t tell</div><div class="MsoNormal">mystery from mockery,</div><div class="MsoNormal">life from death,</div><div class="MsoNormal">wine from blood.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here,</div><div class="MsoNormal">beams, bones,</div><div class="MsoNormal">paths, purposes,</div><div class="MsoNormal">swords and fingers</div><div class="MsoNormal">cross;</div><div class="MsoNormal">“X” marks the spot</div><div class="MsoNormal">where you hang,</div><div class="MsoNormal">and </div><div class="MsoNormal">all you know is</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">you are</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">here.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-37168386013662621712010-03-03T19:58:00.001-08:002010-03-03T19:58:42.364-08:00Grief<div class="MsoNormal">Stepping out for a walk, </div><div class="MsoNormal">I see the fog is back.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You never know when it will come,</div><div class="MsoNormal">when the clouds will settle heavily,</div><div class="MsoNormal">blocking out the sun</div><div class="MsoNormal">from the sky to the ground.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It rolls in softly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Almost before you notice,</div><div class="MsoNormal">it permeates everything,</div><div class="MsoNormal">and the chill is beneath your skin.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When will it lift?</div><div class="MsoNormal">No one can say.</div><div class="MsoNormal">As it comes, it goes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It always evaporates</div><div class="MsoNormal">after awhile.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The last particles of mist</div><div class="MsoNormal">sparkle as they dance</div><div class="MsoNormal">and sublimate in the sun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Until then,</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll just have to walk </div><div class="MsoNormal">in it,</div><div class="MsoNormal">keeping the company</div><div class="MsoNormal">of the silhouettes</div><div class="MsoNormal">that appear, memory-like,</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">in the vapor.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-86071086231296318252010-01-31T16:39:00.000-08:002010-02-16T11:31:28.243-08:00Farmland in Winter<div class="MsoNormal">Fallen timbers</div><div class="MsoNormal">criss-cross like bones</div><div class="MsoNormal">protruding from shallow graves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">They were once barns,</div><div class="MsoNormal">sheds,</div><div class="MsoNormal">outlying buildings.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Among other things,<br />
they kept</div><div class="MsoNormal">what the reaper brought.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now,</div><div class="MsoNormal">for all of us who pass them</div><div class="MsoNormal">as we travel this rural highway,</div><div class="MsoNormal">they hold the future,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">haunted</div><div class="MsoNormal">by snow that drifts ghost-like </div><div class="MsoNormal">through the empty fields</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">where they lie.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-89877213746207841612009-11-21T17:05:00.001-08:002009-11-21T17:05:48.516-08:00Rise and Shine<div class="MsoNormal">The percolator<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">bubbling and puffing,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the clink of dishes,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">feet thumping overhead,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the hiss of butter or bacon<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">on a hot pan…<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Morning sounds,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">like sprites,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">hovered around my head,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">until I was drawn from sleep<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">by their spell.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But it was the laughter,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the voices<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">spry with conversation,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">that finally got me out of bed<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">and bounding up the stairs<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">from my grandparents’ basement.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What jokes had I missed?<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What stories or discussions?<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Had an aunt or uncle stopped by<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">with cousins in tow?<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t know it then,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">but now I can see<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the face of God<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">behind the smiles of relatives,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the shadow of communion<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">in the buttered toast and jam,<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">the resurrection and the life<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">as I woke from sleep<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">and found the arms of grandma<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">or grandpa<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">open<br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and waiting.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-54740113938358644562009-06-16T21:01:00.000-07:002009-06-16T21:04:21.336-07:00Waking & Sleeping (for Dad)<p class="MsoNormal">It was like so many other times</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’d seen you sleeping—</p> <p class="MsoNormal">on the couch after dinner;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">with a baby on your chest;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">on a lawnchair in the back yard.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, you weren’t so thin then.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Your body wasn’t gnawed away by cancer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Still, it wasn’t so different</p> <p class="MsoNormal">with your head slightly cocked</p> <p class="MsoNormal">and your hands resting on your chest.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real difference</p> <p class="MsoNormal">will be in the waking.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You won’t yawn and reach for the remote;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">you won’t stretch and scratch;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">you won’t roll out of your chair </p> <p class="MsoNormal">to grab a cold one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This time,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">you will wake</p> <p class="MsoNormal">where no eye has seen;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">you will wake suddenly from troubled dreams</p> <p class="MsoNormal">only to find yourself safe</p> <p class="MsoNormal">in the secret dark,</p> <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">arms enfolding you.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-40539039213218453662009-05-25T13:22:00.000-07:002009-05-25T13:30:51.800-07:00Once More (for Dad)<p class="MsoNormal">I learn that a friend had twins yesterday,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">a year after her mother died.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I go my way, I smile.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My mind drifts</p> <p class="MsoNormal">to a scene</p> <p class="MsoNormal">of grass and flowers growing back</p> <p class="MsoNormal">at time-lapse speed</p> <p class="MsoNormal">over a grave site.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What is mortal</p> <p class="MsoNormal">is swallowed up by life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My own father’s death</p> <p class="MsoNormal">is just a few weeks past.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The ground by his headstone</p> <p class="MsoNormal">is still broken and churning, </p> <p class="MsoNormal">hard clods lay on top</p> <p class="MsoNormal">like fists,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">and though the dirt was replaced </p> <p class="MsoNormal">the hole remains,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">a scar in the grass.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But the spring rains will come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the whispered hush of their falling</p> <p class="MsoNormal">they will wash and settle</p> <p class="MsoNormal">the churning ground.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even the clods will soften</p> <p class="MsoNormal">and open.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Underneath,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">roots will mend</p> <p class="MsoNormal">their torn fabric;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">shoots will find their way up</p> <p class="MsoNormal">through the broken places, </p> <p class="MsoNormal">and flowers will lift their faces to the sun</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">once more.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-8377431511151539812009-05-12T19:00:00.000-07:002009-05-12T19:01:37.798-07:00Crying in the Wilderness“Are you the one who was to come,<br />or should we expect someone else?”<br /><br />That day by the river—<br />in front of God and everyone—<br />I pointed at him<br />like I was leading the cavalry<br />and cried out,<br />“Look!! The Lamb of God<br />who takes away the sin of the world!”<br /><br />Later,<br />as my disciples were leaving by droves<br />to follow him,<br />I braced myself,<br />and explained to one of the few remaining,<br />“He must increase, and I must decrease.”<br /><br />I believed it…I believed it…<br />I believed it so much<br />it was my undoing.<br />And because I believed it,<br />everyone else started believing it.<br /><br />But now,<br />the dead air grips my bones<br />with both hands<br />and shakes the cage of my ribs.<br />Now,<br />the stench of wasting humanity<br />makes my head spin<br />like a busted compass.<br />Now,<br />in the twilight of my heart,<br />it’s either him<br />or me,<br /><br /> and I need to be sure.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-33515094731488383862009-03-08T15:20:00.000-07:002009-03-08T15:21:58.061-07:00Rise and ShineThe percolator<br />bubbling and puffing,<br />the clink of dishes,<br />feet thumping overhead,<br />the hiss of butter or bacon<br />on a hot pan…<br /><br />Morning sounds,<br />like sprites,<br />hovered around my head,<br />until I was drawn from sleep<br />by their spell.<br /><br />But it was the laughter,<br />the voices<br />spry with conversation,<br />that finally got me out of bed<br />and bounding up the stairs<br />from my grandparents’ basement.<br /><br />What jokes had I missed?<br />What stories or discussions?<br />Had an aunt or uncle stopped by<br />with cousins in tow?<br /><br />I didn’t know it then,<br />but now I can see<br />the face of God<br />behind the smiles of relatives,<br />the shadow of communion<br />in the buttered toast and jam,<br />the resurrection and the life<br />as I woke from sleep<br />and found the arms of grandma<br />or grandpa<br />open<br />and waiting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-23943246404158049872009-02-19T20:37:00.000-08:002009-02-19T20:51:00.978-08:00Frame of Reference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5VqOusGPwG6SdDERfc7-ydxnGpBPyO_QA3nhF7TU0oVXfe0f0yOG-2YWakRzpttczMnko19vsA6ahYAsc6BlNojukcaETWgrKdk5YO2Iby_RyVrBEDDbowXkPiGxzfLaJ5XePygeZfE/s1600-h/Fall+Road--Grandma+Burgett.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304737354299266290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5VqOusGPwG6SdDERfc7-ydxnGpBPyO_QA3nhF7TU0oVXfe0f0yOG-2YWakRzpttczMnko19vsA6ahYAsc6BlNojukcaETWgrKdk5YO2Iby_RyVrBEDDbowXkPiGxzfLaJ5XePygeZfE/s320/Fall+Road--Grandma+Burgett.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My grandma used to paint.<br /><br />Of all her paintings, my favorite<br />depicts a dirt road in an autumn wood.<br /><br />The road stretches out straight ahead<br />from the foreground<br />and leads to a weathered gate<br />in the center of the painting.<br />Beyond the gate,<br />the road curves off to the right<br />and disappears into<br />orange, green, and gold foliage.<br /><br />For years I’ve looked at this painting<br />and wondered:<br />Is the viewer arriving somewhere<br />or leaving?<br />If arriving or leaving, where?<br /><br />I could ask my grandma these things<br />but she’s dying.<br /><br />Once<br />I was drawing a picture,<br />and one of the trees<br />wouldn’t entirely fit<br />on the page.<br />Grandma said<br />I shouldn’t try to make it fit.<br />She said the picture you’re painting<br />is always bigger<br />than the canvas,<br />and you have to let things go<br />beyond<br />the field of view.<br /><br />As I look<br />at the road in the wood again,<br />grandma’s words return to me.<br /><br />The answers to my questions<br />can’t be found within<br />the frame<br />but lie outside it<br />where the road leads.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708896372113080709.post-63764870051747461532009-02-16T16:36:00.000-08:002009-02-16T16:41:40.639-08:00Arise Beautiful OneMy lover spoke and said to me,<br />“I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come<br />when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God<br />and those who hear will live.<br />Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.<br />See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.<br />For as the Father has life in himself,<br />so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.<br />Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come,<br />the cooing of doves is heard in our land.<br />The fig tree forms its early fruit;<br />the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.<br /><br />I am the resurrection and the life.<br />He who believes in me will live.<br />Arise, come my darling;my beautiful one, come with me.”<br /><br />(SOS 2:10-13; John 5:25, 26; 11:25)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0