Tag Archives: Religion
A HOLY ERROR
A HOLY ERROR
Making a scarecrow
in the image of Francis
the monk lost his crop
THE FARM, THE RANCH AND THE NEED FOR GOD
THE FARM, THE RANCH
AND THE NEED FOR GOD
Who pray to when the rains don’t come
who forget to thank when they do
Who curse when the John Deere breaks
and the cow jumps over the moon
(by the moon of course I mean
the fence to the alfalfa field)
Who in the long nights pondering
under stars too cold to be suns
a word big enough for big
MORE GLORY TO YOU
MORE GLORY TO YOU
There is something
about a rotting church
in a by-passed prairie town
Pride become humility
spirit shining through the bones
WHERE ARE ALL THE MYSTICS NOW
WHERE ARE ALL THE MYSTICS NOW
According to Pir Vilayat Khan
Islam is the cocoon and Sufism is the butterfly
True of Christian mystics too
and all the saints, named and not
that bless each moment of the day
Every cocoon however
does not unfold a butterfly
In every congregation you will find
praying mantis – long may they pray
and wasps that swarm and sting
MISSING LEONARD
MISSING LEONARD
Leonard Cohen is gone
He doesn’t call, he doesn’t write
So huddle with me now
fellow worshipers and weepers
Huddle with me now
round the poem and the song
and listen for the breadcrumb
and the hint of old perfume
that speak
of other ways to God
than through the holes
in Jesus and the goddess
STATUES
STATUES
There is a St. Francis in our garden
with a squirrel at his marble feet
and a small bird on his shoulder
Under the big oak out front
a stone Buddha holds firm
his mudra calling for discourse
equal balance of give and receive
As a Christian in a Christian land
it would be nice to have a Jesus too
If only we could find one of him
holding a fish and a loaf of bread
in each outstretched unpierced hand
WHEN POPES COLLIDE
WHEN POPES COLLIDE
May 25th 2013
History is being made
two popes are having lunch today
I hope the waiter picks the wine
Just like in couple’s therapy
infallibility can get in the way
A CAUTION AGAINST TOO MUCH CHURCH TOO SOON
A CAUTION AGAINST TOO MUCH CHURCH TOO SOON
Brother Wally at age three or four
sitting on the tracks as the train approaches
wanting to find out what it’s like to be an angel
The last minute rescue
granting him some fame and slack
when he went back to being
the little devil he had been the day before
GIVE ME THAT OLD RHYME RELIGION
GIVE ME THAT OLD RHYME RELIGION
(Happy 400th bible birthday)
The King James Bible is filled with poetry
everything since seems reduced to prose
why they did it – God only knows
From pulpits we hear more hate of late
– and politics and damnation
– and I sure miss the celebration
The Song of David is supposed to be a song
taking away the music just seems wrong
As for me, in the valley of the shadow
I want to be able to sing
and to feel God singing along
And if after the seventh trumpet note
we find that the big He or She
is an accountant – not a poet
we’re in a lot of trouble – you and me