Earlier this week I stood in line to cast my “vote” in early voting. The line was long, stretching outside of my local library. Once inside the library, the line wrapped around the perimeter of the book shelves. I felt fortunate that as I passed the shelves for preordered books there was one with myContinue reading ““I wish we never had to wish””
Tag Archives: Hope
We calculate the outsides of all things,
It is sometimes said that vision is more important than sight. In other words, although we see things we lack “vision” to see the real possibility. Sometimes we busy ourselves calculating the outside of things, never bothering to truly measure or imagine what might be below the surface if only we could ponder longer orContinue reading “We calculate the outsides of all things,”
Suddenly
We lie back to back. Curtains lift and fall, like the chest of someone sleeping. Wind moves the leaves of the box elder; they show their light undersides, turning all at once like a school of fish. Suddenly I understand that I am happy. For months this feeling has been coming closer, stopping for shortContinue reading “Suddenly”
Why is the sky so tall…?
As children we have all drawn the sky. We have painted the top half of a page blue and the bottom half green and in between we have squeezed people, or buildings, or things, or everything! Some days we forget the sky is there, at times reminded only by the amazing colors of a sunriseContinue reading “Why is the sky so tall…?”
“Stop all the clocks…”
The image above is from the 1994 movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The actor John Hannah plays Matthew, whose love and partner in the movie was Gareth. He used the words of W.H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues” at Gareth’s funeral. The poem expresses the devastation of grief. Carried throughout its lines is pessimism andContinue reading ““Stop all the clocks…””
Repetition!
The poem by Dylan Thomas – “Do Not go gentle into that good night” is a strong protest against death, even a denial of it! Thomas conveys a sense that life is for living, it is all there is, and as such life needs to be lived without hesitation, without regret, without any sense ofContinue reading “Repetition!”
A little while after!
In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, we read of the journey of the wisemen from the east. When they actually arrived is not known, but we should not be surprised to learn that it may well have been some days or many weeks after the birth of the child. However, let us not fuss about theContinue reading “A little while after!”
“Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,”
Bethlehem, in the West Bank, remains a difficult place to get to. I recall being searched by armed Israeli police and having my passport scrutinized before being allowed to proceed to the Church of the Nativity. The photo above shows not a manger but a chaotic presence of a border wall which surrounds Bethlehem. ThisContinue reading ““Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,””
Emptying
The spontaneous ceasefire on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1914 came about as British, Belgian, and French soldiers put down their weapons and climbed out of their trenches and joined with German soldiers singing Silent Night Holy Night! A moment of palpable peace in the madness of war, a glimmer of grace amidst the gruesomeContinue reading “Emptying”
Poetry pops up in strange places!
The bag was just sitting in the room, a leftover from a granddaughter’s birthday event, and there staring at me were words I had learned in High School some 50 + years ago! Words which were first written close to 250 years ago! Here they appear as a marketing ploy for handmade soap. At leastContinue reading “Poetry pops up in strange places!”
Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings 