The Entertainer I saw human suffering Who danced a funny step, Loose-limbed, slow and casual, Angular, adept An entertainer not a clown, He had a pleasant smile, Astonishing to see him so – I watched him for a while He danced inside a shopping mall As shoppers passed him by, Very thin and very tall, […]
September’s Light The light is In the sun Of gold To warm you When your thoughts Grow cold. The light is In the wafered Moon Piercing pitch A glorious Boon. The light Reflects in Crystal snow Glittering Mantle Blanketing woe. The light is Stagnant In infants’ souls Glistening water Will deepen Their shoals. The light […]
Not Just Yet Where the roads you have known and walked on bend Come down this day to the river with me, Where the current runs so wide descend, A long boat waiting patiently Seats on deck, there’s room for more – Has someone used that seat before? You will not cross today but ride […]
Mary’s Fiat The angel held his voice, Awaiting the child’s choice. Hoping to return with a good report. As other cherubim, In haste to hear her hymn, Descended fast from heavenly court. But could that child ever fair, Have know the gravity of this affair? Now Eve sat in suspense, To hear her eloquence. For, […]
Who will Survive? One cricket sounding as the storm approaches The great trees unaware, How many will be down, which rotting branches Will be broken or be spared? All the beetles hiding underneath the bark And under every leaf Will not be shaken in the flashing of the dark Or come to grief But all […]
The Carthusians To be “Hanged in their habits” What a glorious thing, For their silence screamed, “Christ is the King!” And like the Innocents So Holy, that died, With sword-cut bodies Their mothers cried And wept like mothers Do today, Who send their sons Into the fray Like Innocent Carthusians, With staff and rod, Who […]
Such Power Suddenly, over night, Green boughs and yellow The coming of a fragile might And glory to bestow That will not be withdrawn Between the night and dawn But if there ever were Displeasure such as this: No flowering occur It would not be of weakness But of a strength of will Imperceptible Then […]
What Angels See I turn the knob slowly Till it will turn no more And gently push the door to your room Soft footed, I step long, Over the board that sounds, To your bed I stand and gaze on your sleeping form To see what it is Those angels see When they guard your […]
Mystery Tremendous Doorway but no door And yet no entrance in, Chamber but no floor, Windows in the wind O mystery tremendous Of which there is no telling, People all around us Celled in separate dwellings Will there be release When all has come to be And separateness has ceased? Tremendous mystery Will all the […]
The Incredible Edible Catholic Egg Incredible, Edible, Catholic egg. For you I’d sell An arm and a leg. Delighting rich And simple Folk. Hard-boiled White Around the yolk. Sometimes scrambled. Sometimes Fried. Often next To bacon’s Side. Spittering, Sputtering, Splashing grease But into my life You bring Such peace. For after Matins’ morning Prayer I […]
Beggars No longer will you be an actor, play yourself, There is no script to follow Nor will the face behind the mask be hollow For then the scenery, the flats and props Fall down And charming false anticipation stops But truth is for themselves alone, not others, They live by what they’re taught – […]
Wheat Tallest of the crop, I held my head high. Dancing in the wind, beneath the sun’s piercing eye. Strong as steel, yet ignorant was I, Never knowing that I was predestined to die. The decay of time did its deed. Bone dry I stood- a rattling reed. Re-visiting memories of a burrowing seed, Never […]
I Fall to Pieces… I fall to pieces every day, I fall to pieces every night, The maker reassembles me Although the joins are never tight Pieces cobbled from the past Which never worked as well as should, Soul the Craftsman made to last Which by the spirit of Him stood I am made provisional […]
Grace What’s this? One small seed Blown here from who knows where Has sprouted from the dirt? Ivy tentacles clutch deeply One lonely finger of vine stretches Spirals off tendrils that Sprout berries, flowers, and leaves Pallor decreases Each day more growth Diminishes the whitewashed sepulcher Ever so surely Grace transforms it Michele Marie
Cloud in Glory A white horse grazes in the meadow Wild rye growing in the sun, Daylight pivots on its shadows Master quick, come Holy One Master come and fit the bridle, Ride, I see the fields aflame, Come and cinch the heavy saddle Mount your horse and shout your name Long ago the ride […]
Once There was a Father Once, there was a father, Who loved his little girl. He held her hand and walked to Mass So she could see the Pearl. “My darling, there is silver, My darling, there is gold, But the greatest price is sacrifice, The world keeps that untold. The world can give you […]
The Weight The land Because of our cruelty Because of the martyrs of insolence Because of the children tortured, abused Because of the old ones abandoned, exposed Because of the massacres, dreadful slaughters Because of indifference to love and faith Will be wiped away clean Will be cleansed and scoured We are all as one […]
Bravado from Exodus 2 What a beautiful baby brother you have to hide among the reeds along the river where you’ve seen Pharaoh’s daughter bathe, splashing water against her kind kohl-lined eyes. You’ve noticed her before, haven’t you, Miriam, as you’ve gone outdoors to play? Did you watch her as you gathered papyrus reeds to […]
Five Sons Today five sons Served on the altar Determined boys Who would not falter. Boys at home Who fight and shove But on the altar Assist with love. At home shouting From top of lung On the altar Latin’s sung. At home running Can’t sit still. On the altar Disciplined will. At home throwing […]
The Cage The trees were steel And the ax of wood In the desert of God Where Jesus stood Cut down this forest Satan said And use the steel To bake our bread And when you have This ration baked Prove yourself Your own namesake Throw yourself From wall to rock If angels are Your […]
Everything A swarming of ants Bellies drawn low As the small wings beat Seeds of the maple Unbalanced in weight Spin and fall The dome of eternity Everything All Pavel April 29, 2011
The Competition from Genesis 29-35 I. Listen, Judah, and try to understand: for seven years, Jacob served his Uncle Laban for his cousin Rachel’s hand and thought of no one else. It was her dark hair he felt against his cheek, her lips and body shaped to his, and the nape of her neck cradled […]
Wizard A coyote running for the brush Behind a screen of sun-lit leaves Ginger-ivory, blur and flash, Through the trees it bores and weaves Wizard go and find your den Dogs have traced the scent of you, Enigma of the race of men The slavish kill the feral few If they catch the mark of […]
Circus Glitter Spangles and glitter and flesh, Dazzles the eyes at the circus, Wearing red shoes and pink pearls Acting the clown to amuse us. Oh to live and to love like an artist I saw one long ago day, When I attended the circus In the darkness a gleaming ray. The music was worthy […]
