MaddogPoetry

God’s Sadness

The tears God sheds are real

and in harmony with creation.

God’s gloom is not our doom,

nor does it lessen her love for us,

all of us, regardless of awareness.

God’s grief is not fear of failure,

She does not ache from envy,

and does not compete with us.

God’s anguish gives witness,

She sees the neglected

and laments the canceled.

God’s sadness is not desolation.

Rather than a sign of discord,

it’s accord with our unhappiness.

God’s distress is not dejection.

She shares our sorrow and gives hope,

mercy, and compassion.

God’s suffering saves us,

She participates with us

and shows us the Way.

Seeing with God’s eyes

includes crying with God’s tears.

Soulmate (Psalm 139)

My Lady,

You are in my bones.

You are with me always in all ways;

You embrace me and hold me close.

From the time I wake up until I go to sleep;

You are my companion every day

in every way.

Before a flash in my eye

a sound in my ear

a word on my tongue,

a thought in my mind

a feeling in my heart

a truth in my soul

You are aware completely,

and You put up with me

and take care of me unconditionally.

You encircle me,

Indeed, I am in the center of your circle;

You have taken my hand in yours.

It seems too good to be true,

I am afraid and want to resist.

Can I escape Your company?

Can I flee Your presence?

My Lady,

You are in my bones.

You are with me always in all ways;

You embrace me and hold me close.

Surely the darkness will obscure me,

and I can hide in the shadows.

No, resistance is futile

the darkness is not dark to You,

there are no shadows in Your light.

For You created me

in Your image and likeness;

Yes, I am fearfully and wonderfully made

for you formed my being

and my soul is not hidden from You.

Your eyes saw my unformed body

You fashioned my unshaped soul

You made me in my mother’s womb;

and I am the fruit of her womb.

Can I escape Your company?

Can I flee Your presence?

My Lady,

You are in my bones.

You are with me always in all ways;

You embrace me and hold me close.

When I awake,

I am present to You.

When I fall asleep

I rest assured with You

Search me, and know my heart;

temper me and allay my anxiousness.

Take away my fears and doubts

and make me fierce and free.

Apostolic

Advocacy is listening

and reflecting what is heard –

an apostle is full of mercy.

The world is a noisy place

full of sound and fury

and quiet is hard to come by.

Desperate to be left alone,

solo silos are created…

rendering all senseless.

So, chaos abounds

and discord reins

with desolation for the horizon.

The world is a noisy place

full of sound and fury

and quiet is hard to come by

Eager to have peace

some listen intently…

leading to communion.

So, harmony ensues

and order cultivates

consolation and possibility.

The world is a noisy place

full of sound and fury

but stillness makes rest assured.

Trusting the process

sacrifice makes change happen –

that’s apostolic compassion.

Standing in the Stream

“Knowledge knows that a tomato is a fruit,

Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad”[1]

Knowledge is knowing that righteousness is doing the right thing,

Wisdom is loving with whole mind, heart, and soul.

Life has often been thought of as a journey,

and we imagine it as a path or road.

Suppose it is more like a river or stream –

to be happy we go along with the flow.

Unconcerned about being on either shore

and unable to control the turbulence,

we can stay afloat and maintain our true course

by focusing on the current here and now.

Of course, we must be prepared without a plan,

aware of our surroundings, and attentive

to our purpose in navigating the way,

turning distractions into indifference.

Knowledge and wisdom are very different –

indeed, “You cannot stand in the same stream twice”[2]

Knowledge is knowing to serve the common good,

Wisdom is loving our neighbor with God’s love.

[1] Miles Kingston

[2] Heraclitus

All Things Considered

Not only is “all things considered”

just so impossible to achieve,

it is, definitely, ill-advised.

I have said this and have been sincere;

but, if I’m honest, the considered

is a narrow field of self-interest.

It’s difficult to stay “objective”,

and not influenced by moving on

with my needs and wants, the considered.

I now realize one thing considered

is desirable and doable

and most importantly well-advised.

Often, “what” must be done overwhelms

the myopia of considered

and distracts from doing the wholesome.

“Who”, needs the care, should be my focus,

making the center of attention

my neighbor for action considered.

Happiness (Psalm 5)

Listen to me, my Lady,

be with me and my heartache.

Hear my cry for help,

my Queen and my Mother,

answer my prayer.

I turn to you when I awake;

in the morning I ask you

in joyous expectation not a demanding one.

You are present always in all ways; and

the disruptive cannot dwell with you.

The arrogant cannot stand in your light;

you hate the selfish.

The willful are not welcomed by you;

you loathe liars

I am a sinner and ask for your mercy,

I know that you hold nothing against me; and

keep me close to you,

In reverence I genuflect before you

lead me, my Lady, and give me justice;

let not my enemies prevail,

Make straight your way; make smooth your path.

Ritual

Ritual is both a blessing and a curse –

A blessing ‘cause it makes order of chaos,

a curse ‘cause it fosters chaos of order.

The blessing treats us all as equals,

without regard for worldly status,

granting access to the common good.

The curse thwarts personal expression,

and therefore shuns creativity,

promoting ennui of the masses.

Ritual supports harmony and calmness –

It certainly cannot sustain all for one,

and cannot possibly command one for all.

Fitting ritual encourages

the participation of equals

in heartfelt personal expression.

Fruitful ritual acknowledges

all are welcome apart from status

and stimulates creativity.

Good Faith

To be what I am and not be what I am not –

a challenging if not impossible effort.

The heart has feelings

and wants to be in relation –

a both–and condition,

it leads with submission.

The mind uses logic

and needs to be with science –

an either-or separation,

it transacts with reason.

To be what I am takes balance…

to not be what I am not lives in harmony.

Some treasure what they own

and measure the harvest –

right or wrong is determined by return…

on investment and sincerity.

Some cherish they can share

and flourish with cultivation –

they embrace with compassion and rest…

assured in mercy and love.

I am what I am here and now…

I am not what I am not again and again.

Losing

When at a lost whether total or not,

it is always best to surrender.

Beaten requires submission,

surrender means losing graciously

Competing for a title of epitaph or land,

imposes on another.

So, losing a game or war forces

a surrender and accepting terms.

Maintaining an emotional balance,

contorts my being.

So, losing my temper or composure compels

a surrender and finding my center.

Answering a life’s call,

sustains a presence.

So, losing my way or purpose necessitates

a surrender and focusing my expectation.

Losing is a lesson learned

and the loser becomes the foil.

So, submit without demanding

and embrace the unknown.