Yearly Archives: 2017

CHRISTMAS BENEDICTION They are beautiful songs, The carols we have sung this night- Sad, but woven with great joy, Glorious in the midst of deep darkness, Filled with hope in a world of war, Bright with great love No matter how meager it may seem, Here where we are. Yes, they are magnificent And perhaps… Read more

If I squint, I can see the world As I like it to be- Quirky and lovely, Absurd and mysterious, Precious and, well, Good, The way God intended.   Or sometimes I can close my eyes And see the world as I did When I was a child, Big and wide and filled with Love…. Read more

Forgive our crooked ways- Forgive us for thinking we are good enough- Forgive us for normalizing greed, Arrogance, and self-righteousness. Forgive us for taking our lives Out of your hands. Forgive the ways we demonize our enemies, Lust after each other, and shout each other out. Baptize us with fire, make straight our paths. Let… Read more

Last night, While I wasn’t looking The cat was too quick for me, And slipped through the door, Out into the dark.   It was cold last night- Not bitter, but cold Yet when by dawn’s dim light I noticed her missing And called her name, She came, nonchalant, “You called?”   Maybe like that… Read more

Even on a good day Some tasks may remain incomplete, Some accomplishments unsatisfying, Some memories annoying- And for these, a purring cat-on-the-lap Is a healing balm.   And if the world Is circling around the drain- If chaos laps at the door And the back door Has taken leave- If the roof leaks And the… Read more

There is, Among certain northern tribes, A month called “the sap-boiling moon,” When summer is past And winter threatens, Yet fleeting opportunity abides To make diligent haste And boil the sap, A task that requires some knowledge And some preparation But more diligence And sure steadfastness- Yet, with some cooperation among allies Hard work will… Read more

I notice, Walking away, I walk with head held down, Into the wind, Tucked from the rain, As if in prayer But I wasn’t praying Even though the world cries for prayer, Things are that bad.   I notice, With my head held down, There are leaves on the ground- Undescript, some- But others are… Read more

What rhymes with justice? Not the law. Not power. Not business. Not religion. Not politics. Not guns, not football, not television.   Justice does not rhyme with the orderly Or with the methodical. It does not synchronize with the tidy Or with the obedient. It is not decorous or demure or even appropriate, Not in… Read more

TAKING THE CATS TO THE VET   Taking the cats to the vet, They did not want to go But they went, Because they trusted me And I tricked them.   They’ll be better off, of course And I will make it up to them. So Lord, trick me if you must Make it up… Read more