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Saturday, June 30, 2018

Knowing in part

The power of the name
is in naming
one observes,
watches,
looks
and sees
thereby knows,
in part,
a thing.

Familiarity
might mean you unsee
what you've seen
disregard your being
short-circuted irreverence 
efficiency matrix subtext
unmemorize the reoccuring signs
forget and uncatalog the lines. 

My pen on the page,
My finger on these keys,
makes an intentional regarding
of a feeling,
a capturing of a seeing,
an experience in creating,
a venture into knowing. 
There are many pathways: let's keep going. 



"By naming something, it becomes more observable, more memorable... those things inhabitants of cities unsee every day, because as yet they lack the vocabulary to make them a permanent part of the urban experience." -(HT to Daniel Benneworth-Gray)


"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." First Corinthians 13:9–12 ESV


Friday, June 29, 2018

What is hard

A draught of Omaha water in a Lincoln room
A softened heart and space to bloom.
To cross the stratified lake of Apathy
to find the grace of calling
  calling to love a neighbor
  calling to forgive and favor
What is not natural
What is hard.

11.20.2008

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Life happens now

Life doesn't happen when x, y, and z come into alignment, or you wake up suddenly more beautiful, more intelligent, or richer than you were the day before. Life happens now. -Kela Wanyama (circa 2010)

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

This nonsense is important.

This nonsense is important. -Marilynne Robinson

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The way to fullness is opened

You enjoy me and
You enjoin me to Yourself

I step under the shadow of Your wings
It's a shelter
Like stepping from behind the waterfall
Into the constant flow

I cupped my hands to fill them full
Instead You opened Your arms: the ocean.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Doubt


My history,
Unrequited
So this circumstance,
Unusual.
Uncomfortable.

Returned affection-
Feels like
magic.
Like it will
break
or fade away. Blown by the winds
I fear.

Expectations burn
Apprehension,
Uncertainty,
a doubting mind.
What do I want?

Doubting yes
Doubting eyes
Accepting,
as it is, not what I think it should be.

“As I listen, I feel your heartbeat, I hear your voice speak.” –Jon Thurlow

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

One who leaps


I’m more than a conqueror, bigger
Than bravery. I don’t march. I’m the one who leaps.

Jericho Brown (2018)


(Excerpt from 'Crossing')

Monday, June 18, 2018

With the Whole of My heart

I listen as only a child can listen, with the whole of my heart. -Stephen Lawhead

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Sustaining hope

All my heart wants You 
More than this dream so, I pray:
Sustain me.

Abounding in hope
Not worry
Overflowing in rest 
Not striving
Abiding in love
Not fear 

God fill me up 
With joy and peace 
As I believe
In order that
By Your powerful Being 
In me 
I will thrive in believing
Who you are 
And have confidence in my future.
(Paraphrase of Paul to the Church in Rome)

Friday, June 15, 2018

A prayer for ‘our’

I want to lift you 
Don’t want to drag you or rag on you
Won’t degrade you, upgrade you

I want to see you and seek you
Don’t want to critique you
Believe in you, speak it to you 

I want to watch sunsets, us two 
Content with you
City lights, country sights, long flights 

Adventures: me and you 
Partnership
Heads bent
In prayer
We share 
No defense; Dependence
No fear; Abba’s here 
He steers
Our ship
And equips
With gifts
In Abundance 
No chance 
He can fail
His wind, our sail
Abiding grace 
For our race 
United into One
In the love of the Son



Thursday, June 14, 2018

More to do

“Art is too long, and life is too short,” wrote Grace Paley. “There’s a lot more to do in life than just writing.”

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Never giving up

Limiting the space. Making a boundary.
Shut out the critics with kindness.
Don’t look at the numbers;
My goal is my voice.

I don't rhyme
But I've got the rhythm.

What do you like, do I care?
What I like, do I dare?

World seeing and feeling.
Freed to fail.
Free to be angry. To fight injustice.
Never giving up the rhythm.

"don't know if you carebut I dare." -Mark Mallman 

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

life is now

Stop waiting to get picked.

Stop waiting to get rescued.

Life, life is now
This one
Life is now
Broken, torn asunder
Life is now
Beautiful and wrenching
Life is now
Glorious and unspeakable
Life is now.


Thursday, June 07, 2018

Office Subject


Your meeting was forwarded to above recipients
Accepted Original Appointment---From: Self inflicted email indictment
Sent: And I hear him singing from heaven "Ground Control to Major Tom" now

Subject: a new blue, discovered by chemistry
Good for nothing conversions since high school degrading me
And here, now you are good for something, chagrins me

This is gigantic, this is pedantic
Are you going to take my culture and appropriate it?
Inappropriate! Give it back. All of it.

Tuesday, June 05, 2018

Write Light

Writing
purposed for igniting
make this flame spread
far and wide
deeper and hotter

Writing
insighting
in spite of smoldering
untended coals dying
until reclaiming fire
wages reality 

Writing
a fresh lightening
struck and lit
the sky
flashing brilliancy
revealing

Writing
lighting
spark invading ashen corners
with passion escorting
darkness away
life-restoring flame

Let there be light said The Light, Word dwelling among us unbound. 

Monday, June 04, 2018

Yes, I (for)give

For giving myself to you
This choice - is choosing change
Ongoing sacrifice of my preference
For the new,
the our;

A new dependence
Facing the future
Without control (yet held Supreme)
Loosing, dying
Gaining, thriving

Uttering the world-shifting we
That chasm we stepped into
T o g e t h e r-
Holdinghands
For forever

For gave for giving,
self-forgetting 
Becoming one  
Yes everyday
For giving grace, we pray