Stations One sits beside Him And He knows He sits alone. That one will kiss Him Then be on his way. A true friend longs to be there Should something happen On a night, Where no joy lingers In a windy desert that Howls its danger, Past the praying Though most are sleeping A true […]
According to American retailers, dads don’t do much but play with power tools, do yard work, golf and wear socks. If I believe the magazine and newspaper stories I’ve read this past week, dads don’t know how to relate to the children they brought into this world: “How to Bond on Daddy’s Day!” (You have […]
Bread of Ice Do I not bleed money? Are not my five wounds five decimal points? Is not my crown a woven star of diamond? Am I not scourged with your defaults? Do I not bear a heavy cross of gold? Does not my cup run over with petroleum? Is not the spirit I breathe […]
To the Icon of the Virgin of Vladimir Your eyes bear the world’s incredible sadness, your lower lids descending into cups that cannot contain your grief. Your mouth depicts the close touch of your Son’s cheek – only a newborn now but shown as a miniature man already ready to comfort. Did you sense this? […]
Those I Love That dark trail As thick dusk solidifies Beneath the tall trees Cathedral or tomb of memories Then to break through At the uphill end of the track To the green meadow and the open sky To see spread overhead heaven’s bright work Those strong swift clouds in the light And how they […]
Rising Wind Rising wind Falling fire Life abiding Soul’s desire Word speaking Babel cure Earth renewing Spirit pure Claim us Cleanse us Make us Yours Stephen Pohl
By The Sea of Galilee Walking softly to where he is I kneel on the sand Then rest my head against the stone He sits upon In the breeze His cloak brushes against my cheek I look upon the sea He gazes on Feeling the breeze that he feels Smelling the sea as he smells […]
Nothing Lies in Silence Long Hold up your hand or stamp your foot A movement makes the mountains tremble, Footfalls stop the rising sun If in the place and time most fragile I saw the truth of this today When something dead began to breathe, A memory I once retained Took up a thread, began to […]
Following Job into Chapter Nine Who can be justified before God? You ask a thousand times but do not expect an answer. Before you know it, mountains move. The earth shakes out of shape. Foundations shudder like dread-soaked pillows tossing on your bed. The sun does not come up. Stars fail to light far corners. […]
The Prodigal One Scorching heat awakens the man No outline of large tents offering sweet cakes, soft pillows, and shade No sign of attending figures who embrace and kiss their lost one No drops of the many wines that flowed till well into the night when Large glittering stars camouflaged the velvet-black heavens… No remnant […]
Joan from Ohio emailed: “Dear Karen, would you please consider writing about how to be frugal? You claimed in your book you’re ‘the most frugal person this side of the Mississippi’. Judging from your pictures on your website and Facebook, it doesn’t look like you’re sacrificing much at all! I need your advice on how […]
Why Reach for What Does Not Exist? Why should I lament my son Who lived in flesh by death undone? No one would grieve for wind and dust That in the body placed its trust Nor for phantasm memory A fond and dim sterility That spills away like morning mist I rolled inside the […]
Alms Impoverished peoples give generously of their patience, graciously accepting assorted hand-me-downs: the sequined vest, silk tie, high-priced pair of heels. Soon this stiletto heel will bore holes into the earth where roots can nestle. This silk tie will fasten branches to hold a thin blanket, freshening in the sun. This designer vest will warm […]
Somewhere Somewhere there is Shangri-la Where men and women never age, Bird song is an opera And every infant is a sage Drowsy weather always spring, Beneath the willow rivulets Gently flowing trill and sing To fishes at the minuet In Shangri-la there is no greed, Rational it is to share The harvest and there […]
Olivet To Olivet, where psalms were sung before the kiss of death had stung, where he had healed with but a touch the servant’s ear that Peter cut, the risen Lord returned that day, gave friends the charge to preach and pray, then to heaven was lifted up to set the place where we shall […]
I was watching a conversation unfold on a friend’s Facebook wall about the typical daily details of having kids in elementary school. Wait wait, let me think….oh right! THOSE days! I remember them. Which makes me exhausted. It also makes me realize, with apologies to my age-bracket friends who still have little ones, I don’t […]
All in All Everywhere I look, I see You suffering, drowning in bays and waterways as winds pass over New Orleans like an Angel of Death. I see You starving in the Serengeti, homeless in Haiti, shaken in Japan, forgotten in prison, and orphaned everywhere. Oh, do not leave us, Lord! I nail Your […]
“We’re supposed to be on the Do Not Call list. Why do they keep calling?” “Who, crazy Aunt Ida and Uncle Iggy?” “No, telemarketers, they drive me crazy!” “Why don’t you write a column about it?” “Good idea honey,” I muttered as I picked the phone up off the floor and searched for the batteries. […]
Who Would Dare Smile? Don’t read this if your heart is soft, Your heart is not of granite stone I speak of Patrick, less than two Whose parents beat and broke his bones When officers arrived too late To save his little life, febrile, With broken back and broken ribs Sweet Patrick tried to smile […]
Feel free to do what I did, Google “Mastitis + Nonlactating” but try not to, like I did, freak out at the dire health possibilities. Except for the 942 results for “Non-Lactating Mastitis in Bovines”. Though I’ve never been a Bovine, it appears those poor cows are hurting just like me. Scared, alone, in pain […]
One of Us The old ones saw like us A great wall rise and crumble Admit, expel Barbarity and anarchy Defend and give away Concord and stability But now the wall divides The human from the inhuman The creature and the function The soul from the switch And it is derelict, a ruin The dark, […]
Wondering Bones The late afternoon sky reminded me of old, worn out bones, gray, ashen, but filled with a holy spirit, mine and God’s. and I wondered if my life would be as much of a Gift to those who have been such a Gift to me… Niles Comer
