Sometimes I soar
Sometimes I fall
Sometimes I sorta fall
postaday
Equipped
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17
Where else could I go, Lord,
for such instruction,
or wisdom
for all of life’s questions?
Between the covers
of your sacred tome
lies more than
my greatest expectations.
From my rising up to the end of my day,
its value is more than I could ever pay.
Draw me in, feed me Lord,
uncover your mysteries.
Give me persistence and desire to understand.
If what you’ve given has a chance
to go beyond me,
I need Godly words
to transform
this earthly man.
Perplexed Dragon Conundrum
There once was a village
set below the dragon mountains,
that lived in harmony with the beasts,
despite their fiery reputation.
But then one day a grumpy dragon
by the name of Malfeasadex,
displayed such destructive behavior
like torching crops and the community hall,
that the people were quite perplexed,
and so put out the call…
…to a famous dragon whisperer,
by the moniker of Dragon breath Pete,
who lived near Mid-Evil Falls,
which was the county seat.
So Pete set up a meeting
with grumpy Malfeasadex,
to determine why the dragon
had been so awfully vexed.
It turned out Mal. had a habit
of eating pizza and drinking rum,
which gave him terrible heart-burn,
which for a dragon is a conundrum.
So to cure the dragon’s pain
and remove his awful wrath,
the town henceforth sent tribute
of huge quantities of ant-acid
which put him back on the peaceful path.
Summers
When I was a boy the waft of suntan lotion
would send summer simmering through the air.
With school out for the season, out too
were all the cares of deadlines and tests
and scores and pass and fail and all the rest,
and the only certainty certain was every day
that passed of summer made the sum of summer less.
All of that Memory
give me all of that memory
or none of it at all
the day when we first met
you know you passed me in the hall
could I have seen through the next 30 years
bouncing up and down like a ball
give me all of that memory
or none of it at all
to savor and linger
just like our first kiss
you know that special memories
are made of stuff like this
not bound by laws of time
or gravity
all of those moments in between
mean that much to me
give me all of that memory
or none of it at all
every last frame
like stills on the wall
the rooms that we passed through
processed every sound
all of that memory
or none of it at all
Patience
the virtue of patience
if the truth is told
comes more easily
as one grows old(er)
as hair grows gray
and eyes distant
chairs more attractive
hills resistant
wisdom dictates
a more clever path
than the one trod before
when I was a lad
God, did you hear?
God, did you hear the world shout?
They decided
not
to believe
in you.
Not just
a lone voice
in the desert,
but all your believers, too.
God, did you hear the world shout?
Give us
science,
that’s what we
understand.
The scientific method
will unify the nations
and bring solace and joy
to the land.
God, with all the shouting,
how can anyone hear?
How can they look
at your creation
and not believe
you are near?
God, we humans
have made such an awful mess
of what you created for us
while not believing
and wanting everything
except you
we’ve made
deadly short cuts
to our lusts.
God forgive us
and bring us
into relationship
with you.
Let us place you first
in our hearts and homes
until the world you made
is renewed.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelations 21:1-4
Colossians 3 Haiku
heavenly conscience
earthly preoccupation
divided desire
Inheritance
the inheritance of
the joy of the Lord
is of the forever kind
a true joy and gift
not earned by effort
or indeed birthright
freely given
though dearly bought
by the King
above all kings
the One who causes
my countenance to glow
and my heart to sing
Memorial Day
This coming Monday in the United States we celebrate Memorial Day. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was started as a way to remember all those combatants who died in battle during the Civil War. Since then it has come to include all those who have died in U.S. military service.
That photograph you’re looking at,
the young man with the grin.
There’s a sparkle in his eye that hints at
the joy and light within.
He didn’t live to become an old man,
but I remember him.
Then there’s the portrait of the nurse following
graduation with her class. She served in the
Pacific during WW II. You could tell her she helped
so many, but to her it would always be too few.
I remember her.
For those who died in the heat,
for the ones who passed in the cold,
holding tightly letters in weary hands
that spoke of work, family, home.
Some brought courage with them.
Some found courage there.
Some found courage with hands firmly clasped
and lips uttering prayer.
Whether young or old,
timid or bold,
we honor them all
as their stories are told
and we gather near the flame
lit in their memory.
We tell their stories,
and we remember.
Write here, Joel. 