Goodbye, 2018

The world is waiting in the street— with music, dancing, flashing light. The next in line will rise tonight to take the crown and claim his seat on this hopeful New Year’s Eve. Did anybody see you leave? Slipping past us in the lane to the darkness and the rain? Did you think we would […]

Candles

Every anum on the mark we pour ourselves in wax again, and try to coat a candle that hasn’t yet been burned away. – And every year we see ourselves, the new improved—as we could be and think “this year we will not burn away or let the wax drip down.” – But coated candles […]

Christ, Our Lord, on Christmas Day

Christ, our lord, on Christmas Day, here in body dwelling, came, our God, to be a man came to pay our ransom – All the angels preach the news Heaven’s wrath is ending. A baby sleeps in stone and straw Glory in the Highest! – Born a peasant, owned a king by the magi-envoys. Payed […]

Adam’s Vigil

He sat at night beneath the darkened skies; if earth’s first man, its first in failing too. Regret, in shadows, closed him ‘round, and drew the salt and sorrow from his sinful eyes. E’en now he heard the echoes of her cries– Eve’s shuddered breaths– that wounded him and threw that past, and awful madness […]

A Night of Rowing

Tonight we cross the waters black as coal. We row beneath the stars we blotted out. The only sound—the sloshing of the waves, relentless echoes of the knife-like pain. We row alone like exiles in the dark. And now you speak who know my troubles best. You feel with me the wounds that plague my […]

Today

The trees look sad today, lonely on the hill. The wind played yesterday, but now the air is still. And the leaves have gone away. Will you let your faces fall where the leaves have died and fade? Your figures still stand tall though you cannot offer shade. You shall yet bless us all. […]

Seeking the Changeless

–Bend your will to where His word is bent. Search the sights He’s set for you to see. Bring in, captive, every thought you’ve sent from heart to mind where all your wants will be. – –Plain as plain it lies out on the page. No wasted words, the written will we read. Notes of […]

Satan Visits

He slunk around the darkened street at night and hid in lies, and marble-whitened sin. And then, when no one else was left in sight, he came to church and, pious, slithered in. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Preservation

The earth is stretched around its corners—tight, a spheric ship that travels through the seas of stars and roiling nova bursts that freeze or burn the thinning air around them, bright. And yet it journeys on, ship-shape and right with all precarious cargo: like the trees, and every crawl crustacean in the seas that hurtle […]

A Thanksgiving Prayer

We bow our hearts before You, Lord, in simple thankfulness outpoured for You, our God, have made us rich: You spread your gifts out like the stars— skies and skies of diamond shards that catch Your light in the dark and shine— a billion testaments to love that we can only see the edges of. […]