The Flower Twisting, strangling itself To see The flower is mad Ever seeking the most beautiful Of seven different suns Moved by every wind Indulging every mad whim, sapped of strength Now weak and flattened to the grasses The flower must choose One Sun or die Michele Marie
Prester John Somewhere there’s a priest named Prester John The answer to our prayers, our champion, Though we know what heaven we require It isn’t found on Earth, but somewhat higher – He can pull it down and anchor it, A giant air balloon, and there it sits In a week or month it is […]
In His Place I “Ecce Homo!” Pilate pronounced As thunder pealed across the murky sky. While standing still upon the steps I heard the crowd and their chaotic cry Let him die! Let him die! Take him away to crucify! My body was torn by centurions Who flogged my flesh with their violent swing, But […]
Luke 6: 1 – 5 As the Lord’s disciples Walked the wheat field Crushing the grain To feed their hunger As the farmer in Kansas Tasted his sorghum Crushing the grain And savoring sweetness So the Lord will crush the harvest grain Lord of the Sabbath Man of our sorrows Before He tastes the world’s […]
The Void There was some consolation today Sounds of my steps along the melting snow paths Sunlight on a white birch Biting air under skies so very blue A great aching for the Unknown Feeling one with my Beloved Michele Marie
The Crib and the Cross “…and His sepulcher shall be glorious!” (Isaiah 11:10) The crib – In the shadow of the cross Rough and hard No lustrous gloss No lustrous gloss Or polished sheen Just wood for His birth And for the death scene For the death scene they thought Would end all Casting its […]
Ezekiel’s Vision The creatures of the vision of the wheels Adamant and powerful and real Turned not but to go they would proceed At some immeasurable, unhurried speed Then there were the eyes within the round Rims that rose and fell above the ground, Amber was the radiance they shed, Woke the life within the […]
To Men of Good Will There can be no peace If not of good will. There can be no race For those who stand still. Only she – Full of grace Was the miracle Set in place. To magnify Her soul prepared By God, her spirit – Never ensnared. “Blessed art thou…” Gabriel hailed, And […]
Leave it Behind I saw the cells of purgatory When I was a child, The menaces of royalty In stiff brocaded gold Stiff with unforgiving pain They moved out from their cells Where prisoners of hate remain Inside their narrow hells Underground along an aisle They reached out for a touch, A neediness which might […]
Mary of the Morn Through the Gate O’Morn He came In a stable born Where St. Joseph Held her hand Both so tired and worn. Patient donkey Just outside Munching on some corn Saw the love St. Joseph had To Mary he was sworn. Saw St. Joseph’s Furrowed brow Knowing future scorn Saw St. Joseph […]
Christmas 2011, I Want to get it Right At one Black Friday shopping frenzy A lady uses pepper spray Causing burning and panic Outside a mall, a large crowd waits anxiously To get their Air Jordan’s XI retro concords A man shoots his gun in the crowd The line outside the Coach Purse store Snakes outside into […]
Christmas Gold If I had a big house, As a rule-of-thumb, At Christmas I’d have loved-ones And others, if they’d come. If I had a big, house, A cupboard, warm and round, Would feed my Christmas guests The staff of life, here, found. If I had a big, house, All men I would let in, […]
I pulled the car off to the side Got out to see the sky’s ebb-tide. Beheld the best I ever saw, A sunset psalm-like, full of awe. The clouds’ clean lines were all aglow, A crimson scene viewed from below. It ended the trip fittingly, And the year, magnificently. South of Ephrata, on the road, […]
Silver Straw Where Africa, Asia And Europe do meet, In the middle of the earth David’s line complete… After Abraham and Sarah In the middle of time, Up until now The Savior sublime… Born in a stable In the middle of the night, In the middle of His creatures Under middle-star bright… Blessed Mother, foster-father […]
You Tore a Page You tore a page from Job to roll a cigarette And as you tore the flesh of God from Him So from your dying body will be torn your limb You bragged of how you burned away The flesh of God from the body of His name So will those who […]
Sanctuary Stars To all my friends I cannot see I’ll pray for you On bended knee On Christmas morn At stable’s side Where Christ the King Once did abide. Amidst the stench Of creatures low Yet star above Sent down its glow. First Sanctuary light Bold thing A beacon for The hidden King. And when […]
On Christmas Eve On Christmas Eve, I heard from an old neighbor He called to thank me for a Christmas card I’d sent (How touched I was by his gratefulness) This Godfather to my child At 87 years old, talked about how his wife, In the nursing home, still had her wonderful smile We shared old […]
The Nazareth Mines When Rome was Of the world – And Master Moon Was free – And Mistress Midnight Bedizened – In show-star Finery. A tiny sparkle Caught, Miss Mistress Midnight’s Eye – And captured Master Moon, Who paled And gasped a sigh – But Rome, still Of the world, Had doctors observe Ceiling signs […]
Night’s Companion Night is velvet blackness The lady knows that she is but dust and ash. So facing the Son she dresses for night In a borrowed dress of dazzling white She casts a gentle glow upon the earth, She herself hallowed in the night’s mist Faithfully the stars fall in behind her Soldiers at the […]
The Morning of Christmas Eve It is the morn Of Christmas Eve, Scrambled eggs I cook. Advent, Sunday, Fourth and last All fasting now forsook. The birds outside Are singing carols Pitched soprano-high. Above the frost Below the blue, Their midnight moment nigh. Then beasts will speak In whispers low, When Emmanuel did come, How […]
A Christmas Carole My day is ruined and it’s only ten o’clock! The baby screams and screams! Sick, sad eyes overlook His swollen, drippy nose. The red-faced, screaming baby Refuses Babies, his favorite book. He thrashes out of my attempted cuddles Landing on the floor. I pick him up with intentional gentleness and place Place […]
Oh Christmas Tree! December 23rd has come And all my Christmas Shopping’s done. All gifts are hidden, Tucked away, Until the morn of Christmas day. When children wake, Like souls confessed, All light and bright, it’s Christmas Fest! Oh Gloria! We’ll sing and pray And open gifts on that Feast Day. Around the creche We’ll […]
Construction Sunday–Fourth Sunday in Advent The waiting and watching are soon to stop. God calls us to get busy building this Sunday A dwelling for His son. An ark in a tent Is too temporary, unfit unwelcome For Him who will reign over The House of Jacob. Forever requires More than polished cedar or golden […]
Ever Green December twenty-second Three days before The Fest. I sit in coal-black Morning, Waiting for my guest. Examining My conscience, I spy the dinge and dirt The howling wind And icy sleet Intensify the hurt. So out into The dark, I trod in sleety snow, Searching for The evergreen Of hope the Christmas glow. […]
