The Kingdom of God O WORLD invisible, we view thee, O world intangible, we touch thee, O world unknowable, we know thee, Inapprehensible, we clutch thee! Does the fish soar to find the ocean, The eagle plunge to find the air— That we ask of the stars in motion If they have rumour of thee […]
The Single Hound I Adventure most unto itself The Soul condemned to be; Attended by a Single Hound— Its own Identity Emily Dickinson
Storming Falluja, Ten Years Ago Fallujans flee, of your fighters be rid, Your city, your honor our GI’s demand, We’ll find them, we’ll kill them, they cannot be hid, Uprising is doomed to sink in the sand. Your town is besieged; we storm and we blast, By land and by air, with engines of war […]
Hunger Camp at Jaslo Write it. Write. In ordinary ink on ordinary paper: they were given no food, they all died of hunger. “All. How many? It’s a big meadow. How much grass for each one?” Write: I don’t know. History counts its skeletons in round numbers. A thousand and one remains a thousand, as […]
For My Release I spoke to the troll Under the bridge That crosses my soul Demon of malice Troll of injustice Shameful and callous Where are you from Speak, are you dumb? You rise like the scum Scum on the sea Mold on the tree Torment of me Upward it leaped From the cavern it […]
In the weeks that followed my father’s death, a phrase kept running through my head. All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of things will be well. Julian of Norwich said it, but here is the really odd thing. I had never read anything by Julian of Norwich. I had never […]
From Dust To Stars God said to Abraham, “Look and see The dust upon the earth, For so shall your descendants be In you shall nations have their birth.” But later God said, “Look now and see The stars up in the sky For no more as dust shall your descendants be But as the […]
Heaven-Haven I have desired to go Where springs not fail, To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail, And a few lilies blow. And I have asked to be Where no storms come, Where the green swell is in the havens dumb, And out of the swing of the sea. Gerard Manley Hopkins
The Huuna Bean I tucked my little girl in to bed And this is what my little girl said, “My teacher said I am a bean! She did!” “What kind of bean,” I asked, then said, “A kidney, a Lima, a Navy or Red? A Lentil, a French, or Great Northern instead?” “None of those!” […]
A Seed of Hope Father, my God, my Creator, I wander in darkness. There is no light in my life. There is no hope in my body. Grant me God, Your brilliance, Drive away this darkness in my life. I hold before You a blackness which Only Your light can penetrate. I hold up to […]
De Profundis Oh why is heaven built so far, Oh why is earth set so remote? I cannot reach the nearest star That hangs afloat. I would not care to reach the moon, One round monotonous of change; Yet even she repeats her tune Beyond my range. I never watch the scatter’d fire Of stars, […]
The Judgment Seat The Judgment Seat oh the Judgment Seat What hope is there? When one look by the Just Judge Can bring out despondency or despair. The Judgment Seat oh the Judgment Seat Who can withstand? When he examines your affects of countless lives And accepts no ifs, buts or bribes. The Judgment Seat […]
The Wisdom of the Clock You can’t escape its silent roar Its race is cast from shore to shore Time dashes off and then is gone “A good deed done, just one more day In good deeds you cannot delay Duty first, then right again” No stress in time or things without The soldier’s stance […]
Dreams Despite the geologists’ knowledge and craft, mocking magnets, graphs, and maps— in a split second the dream piles before us mountains as stony as real life. And since mountains, then valleys, plains with perfect infrastructures. Without engineers, contractors, workers, bulldozers, diggers, or supplies— raging highways, instant bridges, thickly populated pop-up cities. Without directors, megaphones, […]
Peril as a Possession (Part Five: The Single Hound VI) Peril as a possession ’T is good to bear, Danger disintegrates satiety; There ’s Basis there Begets an awe, That searches Human Nature’s creases As clean as Fire Emily Dickinson
There is Hope in my Heart Here in my heart is where You belong. Here is where I want You to stay. Forever Friend, Lord and Master, Do not go away. I have such great need of you, Always, and always, and always You are my life’s desire, My Forever Faithful Friend. Stay close, stay […]
Thomas Welbourne had no children. His wife Mary had been pestering him, even pleading about it, for years. He hadn’t decided against having them, but then, he never quite made up his mind to have them. He had never quite made up his mind about anything much. He was waiting for something – for something […]
Tomorrow The morning comes swift and bright And sleep is fleeting as a bird in flight So take your rest while you can While the silver moon sails silent over land Worry not over what you should have done Over what lies unfinished or unbegun The day once passed shall not return And worry will […]
Else but Melancholy? Stay abreast of the current events, Otherwise, they say, to all intents, You’re just a citizen in ignorance; To national progress, a hindrance. But what if this “progress” should devolve, Into fiendish ways that involve, Vice, sleaze and a spiritual squalor, Loathsome to any Christian scholar? Why do we go in quest […]
The Gift of Love The greatest love story ever told The one that means the most, Is raised on high in holy hands In one small precious Host. Kate Watkins Furman
Lot’s Wife They say I looked back out of curiosity. But I could have had other reasons. I looked back mourning my silver bowl. Carelessly, while tying my sandal strap. So I wouldn’t have to keep staring at the righteous nape of my husband Lot’s neck. From the sudden conviction that if I dropped dead […]
Just like our Yesterdays Today I have found You again, My Friend of a long time. Our paths crossed today again, As they haven’t for some time. You were You, the Lord of Love, And I the sinful man, But You loved me as You always do, Just the way I am. I was so […]
The Ones Who Went Before Past vales deep and mountains steep Where wild rivers run Where secrets keep and dragons sleep Hidden from the sun There tall stones stand upon the land Raised in days of yore A lasting brand and mark for man From the ones who went before The ones who made the […]
The Holy Name of Jesus Oh, holy name, most sacred name So worthy of all praise, That heals the very saddest heart And Lights the darkest ways. Oh, precious word, sweet word of love Whatever could there be, That sings such music to the soul And means so much to me!! Kate Watkins Furman
