Expressing the Inexpressible
To dismember injures
and rips us asunder,
to remember submits
and restores by healing.
The disconnect disrupts
creating division,
to remember unites
and enhances the bond.
Clichés are empty words
formulas are hopeless,
to remember enjoins
and creates communion.
With wonder detachment
fosters transformation,
to remember renews
and assures commitment.
Yes, membership outlasts
the emptiness of loss,
to remember matters
and completes our Word.
The saint’s path is not
a road of social prestige.
The disciple’s routine does not
scintillate the world.
What is the Church of God?
A living promise of her Founder
to be with her all days
unto the end of time.
“It is of the Holy Spirit
It is the Kingdom of God.
It is His shrine. It is His city. His sanctuary.
It is the union of God’s people.”[1]
It is the union of all those,
who love and believe,
and grace makes them
a Communion of Saints.
They say with Paul
“I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…
a crown of righteousness…”[2]
The Church has for its heart,
the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
blessing the Communion of Saints
with mercy and compassion.
Regardless of color or ethnicity,
mindless of class or profession,
heedless of age or generation,
Saints magnify God.
[1] Father Judge Meditations p. 77
[2] 2 Timothy 4: 7-8
(Based on the Prayer of St Francis of Assisi)
O God,
Make me an instrument of the Spirit;
where there is bias, openness;
where there is intransigence, reconciliation;
where there is hesitancy, zeal;
where there is judgment, compassion;
where there is fear, peace;
where there is selfishness, love.
O God,
Help me to confront prejudice
and promote acceptance and inclusivity.
Help me to recognize bigotry
and empower with kindness and gentleness.
Help me to acknowledge intolerance
and exercise forbearance and patience.
Help me to identify greed
and practice poverty and indulgence,
You are loving and compassionate,
may I reflect your presence.
Hands touch and feel,
listen and speak.
Hands of an athlete…
quick and sure
compliments supple and strong –
poetry in motion.
Hands of a technician…
precise and careful
compliments intuitive and diligent –
embodied instructions.
Hands of an educator…
open and directive
compliments assertive and self-disciplined –
lifelong mentor.
Hands of a mother…
soft and warm
compliments nurturing and sustaining –
bestows self-esteem.
Hands of a healer…
gentle and soothing
compliments restorative and wholesome –
sanctifies hope.
Hands hold and grasp,
create and bless.
Disciplined imagination
reflects God’s reflection.
When I was a child,
reward and punishment
was activity’s pivot.
When caught breaking the rules,
absolution was sought through
atonement and reparation.
As a reflecting adult,
compassion and sacrifice
mirrors Divine mercy.
The Beatitudes rule,
communion is achieved through
submission and grace.
Common good relies on justice
and seeks to maintain order –
regardless of helpfulness.
Greater good promotes harmony
and restores relations –
envisioning accord.
Creative responsibility
reveals God’s revelation.
A signature move is
an essential act
that awaits accompaniment.
Jackson’s Moon Walk, a handshake,
Churchill’s “V” sign, a high five,
Fosbury’s Flop, a raised glass,
Cesar’s thumb down, a standing ovation,
Bernstein’s entreating wave, crossed fingers.
Sometimes someone goes unrecognized
despite wondrous works.
Concealed by who people want to see,
disguised by who they are not,
masked by not being who is expected.
At times, we are lost
on the road to Emmaus
discouraged, disappointed, disheartened.
There are no answers we want to hear,
no revelations we want to see.
A familiar setting
can be beneficial.
A measure that bridges gaps
makes the unknown known.
We can see clearly now.
A signature move is
to be carbon-copied
and makes community.
Our Creator,
I abandon myself to you;
I will do your will and drink from the Cup.
I will serve the Greater Good;
I accept your expectation of me
and wish only for peace and harmony
with you and my neighbor.
Our Creator
I submit myself to you;
yes means “Yes”.
I take the Cup with fear and trembling;
and you bless me with courage, patience, and strength.
I love you and give myself wholly
just as our Savior did.
Our Creator,
Your will be done
in me, with me, and through me.
I will not let this Cup pass.
I commend my Soul to your Spirit
and offer all that I am
always in all ways.
There are always
possibilities
on my life’s way
Gambling wagers
gambol with a heartless devil,
it’s dicey and can lead to ruin,
even becoming addictive.
Lottery odds
for example, favor the house,
the chances of winning… doubtful –
and rarely brings true good fortune.
Winning tickets
are indeed one in a million –
countless tickets make the jackpot,
yet few tickets are a “winner”.
Lesson Learned:
despite the hype, “winners” don’t seem
to be happy for very long…
mostly miserable seems more apt.
You have to be in it to win it
is a sucker’s bet –
more fitting; be in it to lose it.
Timing is everything –
There are no absolutes…
There are always possibilities…
Choices must be made, though
and our commitment complete.
yes means “Yes” and no means “No”.
Even so, discernment is not one-and-done.
The Tempter appeals
“I give you what you want,
everything you have-to-have,
holding nothing back.”
Despite the benefit,
regardless of intention,
the common good notwithstanding,
mistakes will be made.
The root of wrong is,
“I’ve got this.”
Selfishness leads to conceit,
pride justifies ruthlessness.
The Restorer reconciles,
“I accept what you need,
ease your have-to change,
watching your back.”
Thanks to blessings,
full of grace,
the greater good served,
Harmony will be made.
The blossom of right is,
“Here I am”
A kind heart completes a gentle soul.
There are always
possibilities
on my life’s way.
What you don’t know
suggests honesty is needed
and humility is wanted,
in order to enjoy here-now.
The future waits –
how it turns out is up to you…
thanks to knowing there is unknown
it waits for you to create it.
No one knows all
it would be hubris to think so,
of course, some things are known for sure
wisdom apprehends its limits.
Lesson learned:
It is a delicate balance –
navigating unknown to known
and transversing known to unknown.
You don’t know, what you don’t know
requires insight –
Truth reveals.
MaddogPoetry 