Beyond Words

There is poetry that can only be written on the parchment of the heart.

Two Haiku for Spring

The silent impulse

calls bulbs to stretch their green-shoot

arms as they awake.

With the rise of shoot, 

sap, bud, blade, and robin wings,

comes hope from the mire.

Parentheses

She came
and inserted into our life sentence
some parentheses
(a small vacation sheltering us
to rest, recoup, relax).

Haiku: Choices

We are what we choose.
Choose spirit, goodness, kindness
instant by instant.

Bubble of Life

This fragile shimmering bubble -- 

where earth meets sky,

where air kisses the skin of land,

where clouds are mixed into the waters -- 

supports all of life we know in the universe.

Palm Sunday

Each Palm Sunday I tie a frond into a cross.
It stiffens, pales, dries into dross,
fading like my resolve to remember your life,
your loss of love, your sacrifice.

Among the horde of believers waving their palms,
I inhale joy and exhale psalms.

I do not dare to come to your bloody spiked feet,
your rales, your cries. Our eyes might meet:
in that holy reflection I would know my soul,
poor, weak, inflated -- black as coal.

Forgive me my convenient faith, Lord.

A Baby's Blood

When suspects skipped school,
the victim rode in a stroller,
and the crime was murder,
call for national atonement.
We are all responsible.

The Haiku of Doves

Ha-i-koo-koo-koo:
Mourning dove's sweet poetry
sounds a soft sad flute.

Google

Warriors 195,000K, Peacemakers 4,240K

Sexy 1,990,000K, Chaste 5,999K

Money 2,690,000K, Charity 278,000K

Reflections on us: Not OK.

Haiku: Spring Equinox

Sweet spring equinox:
birthday of color, fragrance
and life's soft edges

Modern Slave

At 15, Reva serves her by day,
serves him by dark.
At 15, Reva, pregnant Reva,
bleeds in the park,
yearns for death's pay.

Haiku: Irish Jigs

IrishJigsNe'erRest
TumbleTwirlAndDemandBest
FiddlersDon'tInhale

Irish Jigs

IrishJigsDon'tEverRest
TumbleAndTwirlAndDemandYourBest
FiddlersDon'tHaveToInhale
IrishMusicWillAlwaysSail!

Haiku: March Snow

Old March snow, thin-skinned,
with ear to spring's belly dreads
the heartbeat he hears.

March Snow

March snow is a crusty, thin-skinned old man
with his ear pressed to the pregnant belly of spring,
dreading the strong heartbeat he hears.

Papa sine Cattus

Opulent digs, big mitre hat,
power, huge staff, popemobile phat,
and for seven years
poor old Benedict
was not allowed to have his cat?!

Numb Muse

My muse is asleep so there's no depth to plumb.
She's snoring and tooting and sucking her thumb.
The wordwell is dry so I'm vapid and dumb.

Creation

From waves of being and not-being
I-Am sifted mind into stardust
and sowed void with its seeds.
Galaxy flowers, nebula fruit fill First Eden.

An Old Man

An old man sat on a chipped park bench, 
a note taped to his forehead: 
"I'm 19 years old and trapped in here, 
and this body feels like lead!"

The Poem that Could Only Be Called "Rain"

Rain cold rain clear bane rain.
Rain sweat rain tears rain heat rain blood rain pain
rain me pure rain clean rain sweet rain.
Reign rain.

Children of Abraham

Sibling rivalry of 
Muslims, Christians, Jews 
causes divine pain for 
the actions we choose, 
and from it all earth has 
everything to lose.

Dawn

Dawn slipped from under the covers, 
rose, 
and stretched her arms wide. 
She drank an orange-juice sun 
and wiped the stars from her mirror.

Distillation of Kindness

The sweetest distillation of kindness is that of strangers expecting no return. 
The sourest is that of those who weigh gifts on balances.

Rabbit

I am at war with my internal rabbit, 
who under threat is immobilized, 
yearns to remain unnoticed, 
and takes action only at the last second.

Science

Science, today's revelation of divine handiwork, gives testament to the Designer. 
The more we know creation, 
the more we know the Creator.

Give Me No Pale Sweet Jesus

Give me no pale sweet Jesus, 
but a radical strongman with a hearty laugh, 
The God-man, 
who evicts moneychangers and bear-hugs children.

Sheepish

Straying, buggy, lumpy, placid -- I am one of the flock. 
Despite this, the Lord is my shepherd. 
That's a humble role for a CEO.

Contentment

Contentment is like a cat -- best invited, never chased. 
If you wait quietly, it will creep onto your belly, knead its paws, and purr.

Today

Leaving the cocoon into snow, I caught some freedom molecules -- 

that annual first whiff of spring that stirs both loins and hope.

Prayer for the Earth

It is a universe of power,
Vast beyond understanding
Without edge or horizon,
Without dimension or definition,
A void that is not a void
In which curtains of is and is-not
Flow in and out of creation.
It is occupied by titans:
Fiery or ravenous or angry giants
That spew or consume,
Rocky cold barren giants
That travel in isolation.

Hidden deep within is one small precious sphere.
She is vulnerable, delicate, and possibly unique,
Her dress is rainbow chiffon,
Her soul is blue liquidity,
Her tresses are green,
Her personality is charming, unpredictable.
She is the Mother of us all.

We are spoiled children
Who leave her house in disarray,
Who ravage her gifts,
Who demand more than she has,
Who express no gratitude,
Who rape her, poison her
And leave bleeding wounds in her flesh.

God, forgive us.
Teach us to live lightly,
With discipline,
To give more than we receive,
To recognize that all that is ordinary is precious.

For You said when you dwelt in her home:
"You do it unto Me." 

Loss

Ebony and ivory, notes and rests -- 
losing gives us the needed palpable contrast in life, 
silhouetting joy so we can know gratitude.