Layer 1 Poems
Isaac
Fabricated Security
Partum Walls
A New Thing
Refuse
Layer 2 Poems
Stoned Angel
Shepherd
Shine!
Cell Calls
One Alive
Layer 3 Poems
Divine Decree
Teresa and Gary
No and Know
Shift
Preach!
Layer 4 Poems
The Ark
Recompense
Memory
Go to Work
Pom Pom Poof
Layer 5 Poems
Survivor
Same Page
French Fry
Mama Duck
Brad
Layer 6 Poems
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Isaac
Fabricated Security
Partum Walls
A New Thing
Refuse
Layer 2 Poems
Stoned Angel
Shepherd
Shine!
Cell Calls
One Alive
Layer 3 Poems
Divine Decree
Teresa and Gary
No and Know
Shift
Preach!
Layer 4 Poems
The Ark
Recompense
Memory
Go to Work
Pom Pom Poof
Layer 5 Poems
Survivor
Same Page
French Fry
Mama Duck
Brad
Layer 6 Poems
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Isaac
sharp blade machete ready miss-guided nearly lops off his own fingertops - so close but returns to further sharpen the blade... angels cry "engage this soul-beat-staccato next-note mind" haloed ones call to those willing to listen to the litany: the detox from Mormon from fentanyl from pain of too-skinny-tall from too-smart from clutter art from isolation of a mind that won't conform reform craves transform by whatever means... heroin, booze, cocaine, can't choose to stay away and today mixed coffee and tea mistakenly cuz has no time for reality, a distraction from wide-awake eye on Abraham so sharpen the blade lest he take him, take him away "never again!" to where world deports those who refuse medications sedations take him to the pyre psych-ward fire where no angel calls out to save the man laid out on sticks to fix an offering to the dominatrix... send angels for Isaac, ones who wait who engage who listen who love who make space give Grace cause to breathe angels who thereby sheath the blade wielded to burn the gift of this babe. "Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham"" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." Genesis 22:10-12 |
Fabricated Security
hear him slowly speak to my bones "the lie is powerful," felt it on its way and prayed "no Lord," but wasn't having my way; Walmart aisle B16 the scene of the whisper sense no words just a dissolve where what seemed real since a milli second riddled by unknowing takes over steadily something brings it near, nearer soft, softer identities shift what I thought I knew shape shifts emerges an unknown who I run from not the familiar hand thought held not the loving presence thought felt but a vanisher sent to persuade to love who'd leave fly away or bring me down into a dark cave a voracious gobbler sent to deprave; now on aisle A3 i see coffee, creamer, tea somehow in Wally World hours have passed for old ideas to be lost, shed in prayer as led in that place "the lie is powerful" takes me to a deeper cry mercy Lord, have mercy, set me free surrender me in this struggle that was, is, and never ever will be mine to win. so came to where he needs me, the aisle of humility; the "limit 20" cashier who released me past security past humungous carts to parking lot to wobble-walk wake-up: don't count on human love - it leaves. Trust the Divine and love one another LOVE one another in the unknowing dissolving of fabricated security. |
Partum Walls
Alma gave birth over weeks, her body a living womb labored at eighty three with COPD to release Spirit back to Maker to remember the Way to Life as the aged man who held 7-day babe smelled felt the portal back to what was, the return route to God Most High the Realm. "It's hard work" she whispered and I, who has given birth twice drug free to feel the majesty, have felt the pains, have envisioned the parting walls with mantra of "open.. open... open..." to pass to free first child second child believe her pain believe her hard work believe the third child to be the birth of me from this living womb back to eternity... "Jesus said, "The old man will not hesitate to ask a seven-day-old babe about the place of life, and he will live." Jesus as quoted in the Gospel of Thomas saying 4 |
A New Thing
woman, encircles a man "a new thing," Jeremiah says and steps forward through time to down-the-line unfoldings... why new? women for millenia grew wombed, circled, embraced... women gave-give heaven, home and in age hold-love become one embrace enable escape from ratatata race why new? what of Christ who in "sacred androgeny" in labor on the cross on the tree, was subsumed consumed into Spirit energy encircled unfurled gave birth to the whole world! Is this what Jeremiah meant? the cross, the delivery bed his gush-blood from side slit afterbirth exit of what is meant to transmit new life rebirth to encircle Son of Man now become woman? torn is the veil cry out, wail "Abba why?" as we women, too, have cried just as the child makes ready to enter the wild... a woman encircles a man per divine plan mother prays hovers at Calvary Marys cover embalm the Christ with herbal-spiritual recipe and a new thing happens to change, give birth a woman's circle round the whole world. "How long will you waver, O faithless daughter For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man." Jeremiah 31:22 |
Refuse
met Doris on jury duty sought refuge company as we waited on courthouse benches day after day novelty went away she called me "puddin" and I felt safe with this middle aged woman tiny frame and thus passed many days til the ruling freed us back to "normal" fray but Doris didn't want to go her way and called left messages to say "call me back" but I wanted her to leave me alone get the message and the Lord revealed to me today how I used her and it pains me to see the truth of my callous heart that'll use people and treat life refuse except when my need wants what it wants and right now? It's to not see... this ugly this very real part of me. |
Stoned Angel
left alone hours ticked time itched and a restless twitch shifted into motion confinement in New Orleans downpour meant no door open to walk-wander and expend energy dispel the compel. paint found under kitchen sink inspiration to go ahead just go ahead and paint that wall and so roller-rolled calm as mind aligned rhythm of work steadied soul-heart in his need his NEED for Presence bigger than agitation, broader than physical spiritual subjugations yet in that holy place face to face with lack of faith no trust was awakened to "MUST" and the validity of that which will not fail us charged brush with urgency of message to self to community "TRUST, trust me and I will trust you." silver penned on wine-colored-cross with wine-light rays explosives' display calling all to pay attention to the fourth dimension -not abandon the truth of the Kingdom the cross of Liberation, Christ's electric chair for affirmation of resurrection of vindication pintor signed his pine "the stoned angel" for all who are beaten by not heeding the call of their own God-given soul... "Don't abandon the Living God" and just as the painter cried "TRUST: so too we who see his wild plea must TRUST or be stoned to dust. |
Shepherd
in the name of spirituality folks say, "easy," "be still" "let it be..." yet there is Holy Busy a divine Buzz that knows... a flow, a stream a gurgle that goes… rush-gushes, then pools to slow-cool to then speed again; cooks cleans cares repairs not in the Spirit of gotta-get-it-done but in the rhythm of life of tend-feed lambs-sheep of love, peaceful free or a chance to be in own serene down-deep delight in the dance of response ability. |
Shine!
radiant in a blaze of crisp white cotton big-leg-baggy jeans white shaggy dog free hair; eyes on fire mascaraed perfectly the look refined crafted wine access power, Buff to shine Puff to shine shine to climb! imperative to shine! |
Cell Calls
talk early morning and connection cheers soul endears you to me courage to speak interrupt be "me" - the one crafted by water on stone chisel on rock fire on weeds nurturing finding a voice that speaks and you hear and speak free we hang up and say "thank you God" and love our connection kicks off a craving and calls transform too quickly into cells of expectation of more rather than savoring for a time and half a time what went before. |
One Alive
Sigh as she listened to soul's song spoke to her spoke into her spoke of-for her this woman bringing to life singing a whole life birthing a life with Word She in turn spoke... others heard harmony grew and the Spirit diffused seemed to gather render unity as each next share brought the One. |
Divine Decree
slender on cell cold as hell Zulu parade Mardi Gras day 7am Jonson and Orleans shaking knees in skinny jeans i woulda begged, "need some coffee!!" but she "need some weed..." and here at nearly 40 years of sobriety I wonder "why not weed for me?" legit query, no? Here's what came to me... not going to reason with my insanity or Your divine decree just accept Your terms for me and not judge or covet her weed it's just NOT for me. |
Teresa and Gary
her light caught my eye... had just dropped to driver's seat after a day of so many, so so many with no connection face to face on the street unseen but her through the car window waved "Are you an Uber?" "no, but where you need to go?" maybe because I already knew deep within where You are that months back she had broken her hip and Gary, neighbor, best friend at the retirement home remodeled from her own elementary school at Franklin and Lavender... had picked her up like a stick off the floor and now here with her decked out in Zulu mega-beads fleur de lis with mini-frisbees we had church in the car we three! "God is so good!" "What a blessing." "Patty's not gonna believe this. Just finished saying didn't know how gonna make it home... pain too great, place too far," and that spark caught us on fire and my CRV window opened and Teresa in the front with me Gary in the back crazy how all the little things put us at the precise moment to be there at that corner for each other. And Gary said sincerely, "You ever need ANYTHING, just come see me, here, where you leave us." and I just know he says what he means... |
no and know
less is more; don't pour don't eat don't fuck, feel the heat, and please find what's cheap... smother love under a heap of "no's" "can't go's" in the quest for peace control protection from being whole "silence! y'all too loud..." less noise less motion "be still and 'n' 'o' spells NO! God in simplicity's a prison too meant to sever me from you NOT God's plan though it's true many friends have passed through my journey as they've come up against my passion for the One for connection to a story we inhabit begun at the foundation of the earth, the universe: read, study, converse observe one way to go.. then simplify and "Be still and know," |
Shift
my child has so much hair run fingers through and we stay in that place a while can see it feels good -they don't move away we need a touch tenderness so often before lost due to my energy which finally shifted via divine bludgeoning from "let me help" to "let's be in this experience together: powerless, present, at peace..." |
Preach!
Preacher! LET GO, baby why stop short, strip, contort distort the miraculous to be mundane??? drives me insane gotta pray and reach beyond what's easy to believe to PREACH! |
The Ark
Welcome Shalom we are glad you are here this refuge is for us this ark a respite to nurture God's Love, Power, Way of Life. March twenty twenty three we entered to smell, see ceilings full of nicotine yet felt Holy Unseen, Presence a sense here seems many have prayed many cared here driven to prayer here to bring Creator in crystal clear. good God's gifted hands transformed this physical space and we prayed and we pray to not corrupt disrupt what pre-dated us and sustain Presence in this ark secure from the storm, for community for all who enter to nourish and share, uncover, discover, truth and care, excavate faith, let voices lead to God's-will choices to Creative Energy sustained sobriety, to an inside-our-own-sin sanctuary rebirth into One... so welcome! Shalom! We are glad you are here! |
Memory
memories can be used to say "once upon a time I mattered and I knew people who mattered" or as witness to a true story that reveals the way things flow, crash, turn from here to there when everything seemed so confusing, up in the air, terrifying, unfair, serendipitous, vulnerable at the time... memory can deflate when the telling abates or give courage to wait or take the next step, assured by the looking back the Hand of Mercy the Almighty was, is, and always will be there. |
Recompense
wolf woman pisses me off walks her leashed fluffy huskies in tunnel vision lets them piss on our stairs never shows she cares never looks right or left just wicked, mean absence... unaware she's walking in her recompense. "Thousands may fall at your side 10,000 at your right hand but you will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked." Psalm 91 |
Go to Work
Each morning I go to work. the "work" is to resurrect You with, above, around, through in... risen Christ risen faith let me channel You into this space of busy-ness of coffee thirst of self improvement of me first of routine, plans, myriads of scams, that rob Divine of its light rob Presence its preeminence that rob love its flower, replace words with a babble tower, sublime lack of Power. so let me work to resurrect You with, above, around, through in... risen Christ risen faith the day awaits. |
Pom Pom Poof
last night a man in a pom pom black hat black hair red nose from real cold shared... somehow easy to hear slid past my judgement and fear... "my name is Oscar" and in a sea of voices his reached me... "don't want to be perfect, to be in that cage... to be clean is to be me and do different and watch the wicked inside not to hide him from You or me - just to keep him from power to define, defile, design me or hurt you... I made a choice not for him but for You..." and then... his voice went poof, pom-pom, too.. into the real cold with his red-nose. |
Survivor
Google maps shows three houses in a row trees grew through windows roots crawl over roof sought consumption that brought demolition two houses down one remains to serve purpose pre-ordained Zillow lists sixteen fifty six the Creator clicks heals and we are home in this Ark of Presence in the Seventh... when did the Divine spark enter this Ark? prior to stakes, poles-in-swamp ground-break? did praise, stomp prayer fill this space time ago? must have been so as together we feel connection and continue to in-vite delight-in protect the out of sight Presence found herein this beloved bone whose Spirit quietly has withstood, a Survivor in the hood. "This building is more than building. It is body. It is bone, It is a breathing, living ancestor - a soul that knows and feels. It asks us to open ourselves to all it has witnessed, It asks us to listen - to see what it has seen." -Regie Gibson |
Same Page
some folks feel it necessary to correct, corral, tap you back on the path and that’s okay… channels of the rod and staff been led that way as a lost sheep that meanders zig zags bolts off in a coma daze to escape, postpone, evade… but not my treasure friend Mama Jenn who's ready to open the gate lead out the pen and in my case saw I was close to a door and craving more opened a tome fast grabbed from she-knew-precisely-where in bookstore rows of fare to show the self- consciousness of the African mind, it’s meta-cognitive capacity to see, express, and determine itself as she in turn further empowered me… ”I see you” wordlessly that white nose pushed up against the window fogging up the view with its own willingness to see truth… and now, seven years have passed that spark that flared that gratitude still lights a refuge through it all big and small and we don’t prod or corral just share tacos books laughs as we both seek to be channels of sanity and compassion in this coo-coo nest complexity and give a big big hug at the close of many days to say, ”well done my sister” no matter what came our way… knowing our hearts are on the same sacred page. |
French Fry
red light look to right: twine-thin tall papa walkin' eatin' looooong fry dangled fry suspenseful fry might break not make it to mouth... live-wire child down south jumps at thighs sweet braids fly as he tries, wants, cries "my turn!" worm for bird potato-skin pops lowers the gold passes son child holds dangles hand over head, walkin' no talkin' nibbling salty loooong gold miraculously doesn't break (God knew what was a stake.)... light turns green in rear view see them keep walking down the street... |
Mama Duck
thank you LORD you've given us a way to be water to be wind to flow out and in to get unstuck out of inner, outer muck... to hear JJ's tale of mama duck with six chicks after a day of nothing-but-trouble no pink-cloud bubble poked and criticized pushed and minimized at Malice's Palace... punched out to see mama's duckling parade released JJ's warranted pain surprised he could even see, crack a smile bout Mama Duck's waddle down Washington with her entourage midst the grumpy, fancies awaiting valet... Mama tuft-fluffed JJ's trouble away... thank you LORD, you've made us water wind to flow out and in to get unstuck out of inner, outer muck thank you LORD for Mama Duck. |
Witness
delivers pizza, pale, still hands, thin frame, straight, wispy-fine, mouse-brown hair Roman nose sweat shirt unzipped baseball cap downward tipped... quiet in chair almost not there... when did he come? does he hear? yet somewhere, somehow, seed sown, word heard new phase unfolds... small table at Old Road with Steve... they read, speak, low but true gentle spark less mass than a quark that lightly drew him out of obsession for booze out of depression soul suppression, self-pity, despair into a twinkle today under that same cap and frail frame, love is there LOVE is there and gratitude and I too am grateful to see alchemy that bears witness to the One here, there, everywhere, to Thee. |
Psalm 1
Blessed is the one who contemplates simple rules, spiritual laws; we are like trees planted by streams of living water offering fruit at ripening time green leaves oxygen endlessly; we thrive thus, delight, when meditating on a next step of the Way; when steering clear of endless booby traps of cynicism, the quick fix, of killing ourselves to be on top; God created God sees our how we move at infinite choice-points each new day. |
Psalm 2
Why do countries shake their fists at one another and waste time plotting to divide God from his Anointed People "Ha! we'll blow them apart!" God just laughs and scares the shit out of them My holy One is positioned " |
Isaac was
burdened by a father who knew what is in a name knowing or not knowing the will of God... he was to be God's lamb, and at 33 was laid by Abraham |