Talking to one of the 3rd graders one day, I asked him how his year was going. He said to me, “Oh, it’s going okay. I’ll be really glad when we’re done with fractions, though.” I shook my head understandingly, “Tough, huh?” Without missing a beat he said, “Well, not exactly, but they make my […]
An Awful Tempest Mashed the Air An awful tempest mashed the air, The clouds were gaunt and few; A black, as of a spectre’s cloak, Hid heaven and earth from view. The creatures chuckled on the roofs And whistled in the air, And shook their fists and gnashed their teeth, And swung their frenzied hair. […]
A Baby’s Cradle with No Baby in it A baby’s cradle with no baby in it, A baby’s grave where autumn leaves drop sere; The sweet soul gathered home to Paradise, The body waiting here. Christina Rossetti
Sunday Morning The cat looks at The world outside its window The grass looks good for stalking in For hiding till ready to pounce at dragonflies and mice Tall brown trunks with green tops that flutter Seem so delightful for climbing Flying feathered creatures and small furry scuttling things Look playful and maybe tasty too […]
Fermi’s Question Answered They’ve come. They’ve come. They’ve found us, Those Earth-devoted visitors from space Or somewhere off the world apart and luminous, It may be in a time not present here or anyplace Why don’t they come to Earth, descend? Our leaders, soldiers, dignitaries wait With florid ceremonial, agreeable intent And speeches of the […]
Cat in an Empty Apartment Die—you can’t do that to a cat. Since what can a cat do in an empty apartment? Climb the walls? Rub up against the furniture? Nothing seems different here but nothing is the same. Nothing’s been moved but there’s more space. And at nighttime no lamps are lit. Footsteps on […]
10,000 Arrows A river of 10,000 arrows Pierce the heads and breasts Of the children Who stumble In torrential rains… Modern men Become kings And forget their sons Men who Seal their gold In vaults of steel… Money can be a trap Gold can cover the eyes And death will take it all O Man See […]
Cheery Beggar Beyond Mágdalen and by the Bridge, on a place called there the Plain, In Summer, in a burst of summertime Following falls and falls of rain, When the air was sweet-and-sour of the flown fineflower of Those goldnails and their gaylinks that hang along a lime; The motion of that man’s heart is […]
Earendel is Here… éala éarendel engla beorhtast / ofer middangeard monnum sended – Cynewulf Earendel is here, But not where you might find him In Tolkien’s Silmarillion Nor in a barque or nao A jewel in the prow But in another sphere Earendel is here In orbit overhead Like meteors that streak their trails And […]
Boldly Speak our Bishops Inspired by Eph 6:10-17 Boldly speak our Bishops With unified conviction. Battling society’s illness Of secular affliction. Armed with Truth and Faith, Spirit-filled and Spirit-led Bishops guiding flocks through Rough waters lying ahead. Dare to stand for your faith! Catholic? Then let them know Your prayers and support are theirs And […]
Ruach by Sylvia Dorham Dark ran it’s finger around the outskirts of the city like a child licking the last of the brownie batter from a wide bowl. Dusk settled first around skyscrapers and funneled down to the brownstones and nondescript buildings which housed businesses below upper-storey homes. The stars flew open and shone from […]
Rest O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes; Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth; Lie close around her; leave no room for mirth With its harsh laughter, nor for sound of sighs. She hath no questions, she hath no replies, Hush’d in and curtain’d with a blessèd dearth Of all that irk’d her […]
University Fees The learned men came to see What could be done about that tree Stout and strong and big and tall, Faith inside that garden’s wall. Machines and steel their only hope Sturdy chains and heavy rope, Wrap around that solid tree And yanked it for a student’s fee… One lone seed is lost […]
The Master Immortality achieved Age indefinitely deferred The new immortal sits Scrutinizing games On the full moon as a screen Synchronous in orbit Until as ages pass He slumps and snores alone While robot servants dust Whispering in limpid tones So as not to wake the master With their sub-atomic chatter Pavel July 25, 2011
The Hound of Heaven I fled Him down the nights and down the days I fled Him down the arches of the years I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind, and in the midst of tears I hid from him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes I sped and shot […]
The Weaver Inspired by Mk 6:34-44 The other boys laughed when he walked kinda slow. They stole his sandals and tore at his clothes. They made him the butt of all of their pranks, Yet he prayed for them, each night giving thanks. He spent most of his time, alone by the sea- The lonely […]
Christ’s Childhood Till twelve years’ age, how Christ His childhood spent All earthly pens unworthy were to write; Such acts to mortal eyes He did present, Whose worth not men but angels must recite: No nature’s blots, no childish faults defiled, Where grace was guide, and God did play the child. In springing locks lay […]
An Ocean without Sails Say the nomads, who should know Make no plans today, sometimes No one knows the way to go And in the guts there are no signs A long and distant line of sight No more than steppe as flat as pain, Cloud by day or flame by night Will not appear, […]
Quenching Thirst (Inspired by John 4:4-42) Absentmindedly She replaces the ladle. Weathered hands rebraid thick plaits More out of habit this time, than necessity. Eyes closed, she still sees his face And hears his rich, gentle voice. She chokes back a sob, Remembering he did not judge Or scold or chide her. He gave her […]
HAWK! by Anthony Schefter Scout First Class David M. Halloway was a stoic. He never complained and he rarely cried, not about anything. But this hike was barely a morning old and he was already sick of it. He was ready to leave the Scouts anyway and didn’t see how this hike was going to […]
A Pearl in God’s Eyes My Purity and Chastity is a pearl in God’s eyes, Given me by my father and mother, It is a wonderful prize. I think and pray and wonder Of this beauty which is mine. A feeble step, a feeble fall, The little baby dropped his treasure. He is crying, and […]
That Thieving Spirit! Mark my words- the Holy Spirit is a sly one! When I began my search for it, quick as lightening it found me- And then it stole from me! My eyes, (Seeing shadows mostly, and hurting in light) Were fine by me- Those eyes were well trained In the art of despair […]
Aloof The irresponsive silence of the land, The irresponsive sounding of the sea, Speak both one message of one sense to me:– Aloof, aloof, we stand aloof, so stand Thou too aloof, bound with the flawless band Of inner solitude; we bind not thee; But who from thy self-chain shall set thee free? What heart […]
We took our kids to a petting zoo where the highlight of the visit was the alpaca grazing area. There were several families with us looking over the fence. Then my six-year-old son, noticing a soccer ball in the middle of the field exclaimed, “I didn’t know alpacas played soccer!” There were laughs all around. […]
