Walking to choir practice

Parallel to the river of water
the sidewalk proceeds
from my door, pointing
my feet directly toward my aim.
But seventy paces are turned aside
by the black river
with speeding rapids driving past
in a swift stream of unfordable Fords
whose chattering wheels rage
a rushing gush of hurried hum.

Craft share

Once a month
we would fill the shoebox
with scissors.

Where these scissors went
the rest of the time
is an enduring mystery.
Somehow, they'd escape
leaving a pair of sentries
volunteering to be left alone,
and we'd hunt them again.

Ten $5 gift cards

I was very hungry and tired. It was last Saturday night, and I had just arrived home from the one-day Confessing Christ in a Contrary Culture Conference at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Avon, Indiana. The provided lunch was wonderful...if you could eat dairy. They had lasagna and a huge dessert table, but my only lunch option was to throw together a tiny salad, a few apple slices, and three pieces of bread. At least I could eat something.

Consequently, I wasn't surprised to be very hungry when my carpool arrived home late because we were stuck on the highway for an hour due to a motorcycle accident. I wasn't feeling the best and worried about potentially getting sick (which turned out to be an extremely legitimate worry as I've been sick from Sunday through now). There weren't really leftovers, and I didn't feel like waiting for something to cook, so I drove over to McDonald's to save time and get a quick meal.

This is where it became hilarious.

Throwing Slowly

I broke my arm throwing once.

It was twisted
apart into dueling shards.

Spiral fractures funnel eyes to pointed gaze
searching for trauma, abuse, violence;
wanting to disbelieve
the strength of one's arm
can overthrow the thrower.

Where duty's demand and desire meet

Where duty’s demand and desire meet,
harmonizing freedom and coercion,
lies the intersection where my conceit
dies as your needs cause my wants’ conversion.

One road seeks naught but fulfillment espied
in objects of lust yielding happiness.
This lengthening road, eroded by pride,
leaves wanderers lost in their selfishness.

The other rends what should conjoined remain
as exaction extracts the bitterness
of failing actors, who failings they blame
on others alone, themselves lone distressed.

Where duty’s demand and desire meet,
Love lives with forgiveness and joy complete.

[January 12, 2014]