Second Death

In the darkness of noon

proud souls decline

from glittering heights

to October's stark truth.  

Sacred fire ignites

their hopeless, sad flight

into sin and self-

separation.

(20 Oct. 2011)

We Must Believe

We must all believe in love and in peace.
We must believe in the power of love.  Thomas Merton

Peace fills this house
as I alone awake and hear
the sounds of easy breathing,
the morning birds, striving
with rising dawn, singing
in the sun with piercing song,

while in the great distance
beyond the gentle flame of sunrise
anger rages.

The birds of Homs are silent.

Waning day swells
with the wails of
mothers.

They cradle the innocents,
caught in the fire
of a Assad’s withering greed.

Thy will be done.

Though I cannot understand
I must believe
in your powerful love,
your infinite
Peace!

(25 July 2012)

Mass

If I trust You, everything else will become, for me, strength, health, and support. Everything will bring me to heaven. If I do not trust You, everything will be my destruction.
Thomas Merton  Thoughts in Solitude

When it begins
music plays and we sing
songs of gathering, greeting.

This, then, is the family complete,
assembled around the table
ready for the thanksgiving feast.

Why can’t we just stay
innocent,
present?

We tell the stories of youth,
laugh at self-folly, glad at last
to tell the truth,

but soon we feel the pain
of separation, of nails
driven deep
beneath our tender skin:

his heart breaks; cancer invades
her beloved body
and we can only stare
at vacant crossings,
bereft, 
alone,

until You speak.

Believing beyond reason,
we feel the bread, deep down,
subsumed
into our very guts, spreading
unreasonable warmth
and comfort
and joy!

We cannot understand such power
but without it
our lives
would cease.

To an Unknown Land

To an unknown land

o’re the distant sea

crowding me in, it

carries me.

Through night and day

I'm rushed along.

I want to stay though

I can't stay long.

Compelled to go,

I linger with you;

Though I want to remain,

harsh time whispers, "no."

(9 Aug. 2012)

O Salutaris Hostia

My foe draws near
and darkens my sight
leads me to hatred,
and the hard, futile fight.

Cruel night
descends
on this cold, foreign place,
but to you, Holy Victim,
with hope I do pray!

Oh, open the gate
to my true, native shore
and forever I'll praise you
for your strong arm restores

my life and my love
to bright day evermore.

(11 April 2012)

Holy Days

Image, Vincent Van Gogh, Road with Cypress and Star, 1890

These are my holy days

when dark spirits inundate

the mystic forest

and urge me with purling song

into empty waters.

But I’ll stop this descent

into somnolent night.

I see a new way to fight

this terminal pain.

Looking into your eyes

at last I confess

your brighter path

and joyfully say,

Yes!

(20 Nov 2012)

Old Simeon's Blessing

Blessings

on this radiant child.

I'll smear his head 

with bitter oils, cool 

his brow with the waters

of paradise, 

and with sweet incense

raise to heaven

his soul!

...but I fear for the life

my failing eyes foresee

how the rich of this land

will fear him, strike him down,

covet even the air

he breathes,

and you, daughter,

the soldiers will pierce 

your tender breast

with heavy swords

tear an open wound

deep in your heart, 

to be a sanctuary

for all the mothers

of all the children

yet to be slain.

Most blessed

are you, my child, most holy

is your name.

        

 *

ref: Lk 2:34-35

(7 Jan. 2013)

The Terrorist

“People who know nothing of God and whose lives are centered on themselves . . . . can only conceive one way of becoming real: cutting themselves off from other people and building a barrier of contrast and distinction between themselves and other men. They do not know that reality is to be sought not in division but in unity, for we are ‘members one of another.“ - Thomas Merton, from New Seeds of Contemplation

Je suis un parisien!  14 Nov 2015

Carry your anger

in a heavy bag

filled with nails

and sharp shards -

hate honed to

hard edge of

murder.

When you see

their bright smiles

you will know

it is time

to ignite

your Inspired

device.

(28 April 2013)

The Boy's Gift

I only have

two little fish and

the five barley loaves

my mother packed

for my father and me

for our long

walk home.

I’ve been hungry before

and fear losing my little dinner,

but your eyes so fill my heart,

that, smiling, I give you all I have.

Oh, you must be the One!

for from my meager dole

you feed five thousand souls.

Never again

will I be hungry!

(5/28/2011)

Grace

dry earth

shifting ever-down

to lowest ground,

dust sifting

autumn’s blight,

to winter’s,

longest night,

until Grace

unrequested, freely

given, undeserved

fills with unreserved life

springs, white-water  

rising higher

than could ever

have been

conceived!

(3 Dec 2012)