I wanna tell you somethin'

All shadows in this world which here night our light
live in a garden growing ever more bright
and when death in this world causes us to decay
the queen light to them will at once be displayed

Their bodies out of the ground once old and abused
will wink out the instant queenlight beauty's infused
through ground we will travel, bodies old up through the terf
while our shadows are born out of wombs with queen's worth

Brother can you remember our garden world home
where queen light went through us wherever we'd roam?
Hold fast to that memory with no fear in your heart
for we'll go there again when this world we shall part.

22 Aldeah

For Brian

Silently watching tobacco bowls glowing
warmly we grasp the pace of life slowing
speaking of fathers and the souls we've been showing
the ways which the church and your baby's been growing

finding substantive answers for our hungry souls' why's
in reading of rivers and tying on flies
and of polar bear dreefees of miniature size
we'll leave here the lighter and feeling more wise.

a moment of peace grants our eyes a new view
to how loss and silence are similarly used
to teach use of the gifts with which we've been imbued
and draw our eyes to the one who will carry us through

though now the nights on the porch seem all none to many
we'll trust we were also not given too few
we'll bless the great giver for granting us any
and with mixed joy in our hearts bid each other adieu.

Possibly my new favorite poem...

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

what if?

what if none of these lines work in time?
what if they don't rhyme?
what if this song sucks?

what if all your fears were true?
what if everyone laughed at you?
then what would you do?

would you get up and try again
resolved to be a perfect ten
doomed once again to fail?

would in defeat you take your seat
and suffer dishonor in retreat
doomed to never try again?

what if all of them were wrong?
what if you just sang to sing your song?
would it be so bad?

The thing about seasons.

a poem for Jamie Wagner
written by Will Rearick

When high above sight great dark clouds have grown
and dark unthawed ground lies cold hard below
and when all around you the icy winds flow
and when all seems deadest, dear sister then know
that winter’s cold will end.

And when the cool rain breaks hard upon earth
and nature’s redeemed for all of its worth
when all that’s been dead receives its new birth
dear sister then smile with all joyous mirth
for spring has come again.

As summer comes forth with verdancy deep
and on her warm nights you rest from her heat
as of sweetest fruits from her storehouse you reap
dear sister your excess remember to keep
for summer has its end.

And when the chill winds of autumn do heighten
the sense that your best fruit has long since been ripened
when the limbs of your trees from their leaves become lightened
dear sister do not let your life’s joy be siphoned
for all seasons know an end.

The only way...

The only way to combat materialism is to give your stuff away. The only way to not live in fear of being found out is to be as honest as you can about all that lies in your heart. The only way end violence is to turn the other cheek. The only way to stop theft is to give thieves what they would take. The only way to be rich is to embrace poverty. The only way to live to is to give your life away. The only way to uproot bitterness is to bless the ones who curse. The only way to joy is grief. The only way through fear of failure is to fail and wake up very much alive the next day again, and again, and again... The only to be full is to be empty. The only answer to your hatred of God is his love for you. The only way to strength is weakness. The only way out of loneliness is solitude. The only way to understand is to become foolish. The only way to win is to give up. And if you're like me... the only way to do what's right is to think of the least intuitive thing you could do, and do it.

(these thoughts inspired by Jesus Christ, Henri Nouwen, and Dan Allan among others...)

An inspiring message...

I just listened to this message from flatirons church. Well... those are all the messages but I listened to the one from Dec. 13-14 entitled "Move On." I was incredibly moved to hope, and had to put it out there for your encouragement.