The Bridge

THE LEGEND GOES
THERE WAS A TOWN
WITH A BRIDGE
OVER A RIVER
DOWN WHICH
CHILDREN WERE FLOATED
ON A RAFT

THE GOOD CITIZENS WORRIED
THAT A CHILD
WOULD FLOAT BY IN THE NIGHT
AND BE LOST
SO THEY HIRED WATCHMEN
AND HUNG A NET FROM THE BRIDGE
TO CATCH THE RAFTS

THEY WERE DILIGENT
IN SAVING CHILDREN
SOMETIMES MANY
SOMETIMES FEW
FAIR WEATHER OR FOUL
THE WATCHMEN WATCHED

THEN ONE DAY
SOMEONE SAID
WHY ARE THESE CHILDREN
COMING DOWN THE RIVER
WHO WOULD ABANDON A CHILD
IN SUCH A WAY

THEN SOMEONE SAID
LET US GO UPRIVER
FIND OUT WHY
AND TRY TO STOP IT

I WONDER
BECAUSE WE ARE A SINFUL PEOPLE
WE ARE MORE INCLINED
TO EASE THE EFFECTS OF SIN
RATHER THAN THE CAUSE

AS IF OUR SINFULNESS
WEAKENS OUR RESOLVE
AS IF GOD
DOESN'T WANT A SAINTLY PEOPLE
TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD
WHAT HE WANTS IT TO BE

WE ARE TASKED
TO BE THE WATCHERS
ON THE BRIDGE

WE ARE ALSO TASKED
TO ASK WHY WE ARE NEEDED
AND TO PUT OURSELVES
OUT OF A JOB


FRANK A VOLLMER

LOWEST OF THE LOW

THE FIRST WORDS OF JESUS TO PETER

WERE

COME

BE MY DISCIPLE

HIS LAST WORDS TO PETER

WERE

FOLLOW ME

EVERY STEP OF HIS LIFE

BETWEEN THESE TWO CHALLENGES

PETER NEVER FAILED TO FOLLOW

EVEN THOUGH

AS WE KNOW FROM OUR BIBLE STUDY

HE OFTEN STUMBLED

THE OTHER TWO

JAMES AND JOHN

SEEM TO HAVE JOINED UP

FOR THE WRONG REASONS

THEY SEEMED BE AFFLICTED

WITH SIBLING RIVALRY

JESUS NICK NAMED THEM

SONS OF THUNDER

THEY HAD A BAD TEMPER WHEN CROSSED

BOTH WANTED TO BE IN IMPORTANT PLACES

IN JESUS’ POLITICAL KINGDOM

WHAT DID JESUS SEE IN THEM

WHAT DOES JESUS SEE IN US

IT WAS LESSON TIME FOR THE APOSTLES

AND THROUGH THEM

US

IT WAS TIME FOR AN OBSEQUIOUS DRILL

CALLING A CHILD

WHO WAS LOWER THAN A WOMAN

HIS FATHER’S PROPERTY

WITH NO RIGHTS

A WOMAN’S RESPONSIBILITY

TILL HE WAS OLD ENOUGH TO WORK

CALLING A CHILD

POSSIBLY SOME SNOT NOSED STREET URCHIN

CALLING A CHILD

WHO WAS LOWER THAN A SLAVE

HE SAID

UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING

TO BE A SERVANT OF THIS CHILD

YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF ME

UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING

TO BE FRIEND

TO THE LOWEST OF THE LOW

YOU SHALL HAVE NO PART OF ME

PETER JAMES AND JOHN

WHO HAD WITNESSED

THE MIRACLE ON TABOR MOUNTAIN

AND WERE FEELING FULL OF THEMSELVES

TO CARE FOR A CHILD WAS WOMAN’S WORK

WHY WAS JESUS

ALWAYS TURNING THE WORLD THEY KNEW

UPSIDE DOWN

THEY DIDN’T GET IT RIGHT AWAY

NOT TOO MUCH LATER

WHEN THE APOSTLES

WERE CHASING CHILDREN FROM HIM

HE SAID

LET THE CHILDREN COME

I AM NOT TOO BUSY

OR TOO IMPORTANT FOR THEM

SERVANT TO THE SERVANTS OF GOD

WE WOULD DO WELL

TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE OF IMPORTANCE

FRANK A VOLLMER

Towels

I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TOWELS
THE SUBJECT IS SURE TO MAKE MEN HOWLS
YOU SEE WHEN YOU GO TO THE JOHN
WHAT YOU HAPPEN UPON
ARE TOWELS ARTFULLY ARRANGED
AND THAT’S THE CAUSE OF SOMETHING STRANGE
AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW
THEY’RE ONLY FOR SHOW
TO USE ONE SHOWS YOU’RE SOCIALLY INEPT
DRYING MY HANDS ON MY PANTS I’M SOCIALLY ADEPT
IT’S TIME FOR MEN TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS
LEAVE THE TOILET SEAT UP, NEVER TURN OUT LIGHTS
CLUTTER THE PLACE WITH NEWSPAPERS AND BOOKS
AS LONG AS IT’S CLEAN WHO CARES HOW IT LOOKS
I REALIZE I’M UNDER A CLOUD
I’M MALE NO OPINIONS ALLOWED
OH FOR THE DAYS OF MY YOUTH
WHEN I’D DRY MYSELF WITH A T-SHIRT FOR SOOTH

Proudly submitted frank a VOLLMER

Shitty Shepherds

SHITTY SHEPHERDS
SHEPHERDING
CLEAN SHEEP

SO SAYS THE NOBLE POET
CHAUCER

HOW APT AN IMAGE

A ROLE PLAYED WELL
BY PRIESTS
MINISTERS
RABBIS
POLITICIANS
RULERS

ALL CLOTHED
IN SUNDAY FINERY
WITH THE BEST MANNERS

UNWORTHY SHEPHERDS
OF INNOCENT FLOCKS

TO QUESTION THEM
IS TO QUESTION
THEIR GOD LIKE STANCE
UNHOLY TO DO SO

BUT LATELY
THE SMELL OF THE SHEPHERDS
HAS BECOME TOO GREAT

THEY’VE MADE FRIENDS
WITH THE WOLVES
AND NO LONGER CARE FOR THE SHEEP

AND THE SHEEP
NO LONGER
LISTEN TO THE SHEPHERDS
AND THEIR CALL
TO FOLLOW

FRANK A VOLLMER

Eye of a Needle

A TRADITIONAL WAY OF PREACHING
ON THE CAMEL
AND
EYE OF A NEEDLE STORY
IS TO SAY
THERE WAS A GATE
IN JERUSALEM’S WALLS
LOW AND NARROW

A CAMEL COULD PASS THROUGH
IF HIS BURDEN WAS REMOVED
AND HE ENTERED ON HIS KNEES

A GOOD TEACHING STORY
BUT IT MAY NOT BE TRUE
THE EXPLANATION
IS NOT TRACED
BEYOND THE NINTH CENTURY

THEN WHAT DOES IT MEAN
THE SAYING WAS COMMON
IN THE MIDDLE EAST
A SAYING OF IMPOSSIBILITY

IN BAGHDAD
THE CAMEL
WAS REPLACED BY A ELEPHANT

IT’S POSSIBLE
THE WORD IS MISTRANSLATED
AND MEANS CABLE
HAWSER
LARGE ROPE

HOWEVER IT IS TRANSLATED
IT DENOTES IMPOSSIBILITY
AND YET THE BIBLE SAYS
JESUS
LOVED THE RICH YOUNG MAN
WHO ASKED THE QUESTION

SO BEING RICH
WASN’T WRONG
BUT WHAT HE DID WITH IT
HOW TIGHTLY
HE GRASPED
WHAT HE HAD
AND WOULDN’T SHARE

WE SAY TO THE WORLD
GOD LOVES YOU
HE HAS GIVEN YOU HIS SON
HE HAS GIVEN YOU REDEMPTION
HE HAS GIVEN YOU ALL OF CREATION
TO SHARE

THE HUNGRY IN DARFUR SAY
WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLAN

THE POOR IN
BRAZIL’S CLUTTERED SLUMS
SAY
WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS

THE VICTIM’S OF RELIGIOUS
AND RACIAL HATRED
SAY
WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS

THE SICK OF THE WORLD
UNABLE
TO PAY FOR MEDICINE
SAY
WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS

I’M SINGING AN OLD SONG
BUT THE MELODY
LINGERS IN MY EAR
LIKE AN EARWORM
ALWAYS IN MY EAR

I BELIEVE
IN GOD
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHOUT THAT BELIEF
NOTHING MAKES SENSE
AND WE ARE NOTHING
BUT A BUNCH OF ATOMS
SPINNING AROUND THE SUN

I BELIEVE
THAT GOD
WITH MAN’S WORKS
CAN REDEEM CREATION
AND CHANGE THE SAYING
TO
WE NEED A SMALLER NEEDLE
THE CAMEL KEEPS FALLING THROUGH


FRANK A VOLLMER

Sketcher

SKETCHER

A FEW LINES ON A PAD OF PAPER

AND CREATION HAPPENS

LIKE LAZARUS COMING TO LIFE

NOT A PICTURE

BUT THE ESSENCE

THE TRUE NATURE

OF WHAT IS PORTRAYED

THE HEART SEES

THE FINGERS DRAWN THE LINES

WHAT IS LEFT OUT

IS AS IMPORTANT

AS THAT SHOWN

AND BOTH ARE LIKE A DREAM

THAT ONE REMEMBERS

AND TRIES TO PUT DOWN

FRANK A VOLLMER

Death in an Amish Schoolhouse

DEATH IN AN AMISH SCHOOLHOUSE

A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR

RECENTLY RELEASED FROM CAMP

CAME ACROSS A THRONG

WAILING DOWN THE ROAD

HE INQUIRED

WHAT HAPPENED

WHAT CAUSED SUCH SORROW

HE WAS TOLD THAT A MAN HAD DIED

AND HE

WHO HAD WITNESSED

THOUSAND OF DEATHS

COULD NOT COMPREHEND

AND STARTED TO LAUGH

SO MUCH TURMOIL OVER ONE DEATH

WHERE WAS THE OUTCRY

WHEN SO MANY DIED

THE AMISH

WHO FOLLOW A BIBLICAL DICTUM

OF BEING IN THE WORLD

BUT NOT OF IT

SAY IN THEIR GENTLENESS

WE FORGIVE THE MURDERER

AS WELL WE SHOULD

AS WELL WE MUST

FORGIVE BUT NOT FORGET

WHAT HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS TERRIBLE PLACE

WHERE INNOCENT LAMBS ARE LED TO SLAUGHTER

HAVE WE GROWN IMMUNE TO DEATH

HAS THE ENEMY FINALLY WON

WE KILL CHRISTIANS

JEWS

MUSLIMS

HINDUS

BUDDHISTS

GAYS

OTHER RACES

OFTEN IN A NAME OF A GOD

BUT THE CHILDREN

SAFELY IN THEIR FATHER'S BOSOM

ACCEPTED AS THEY ARE

AS THEY NEVER WERE

SAY

MOURN OUR DEATH

AND BE NOT PART OF THE KILLING MACHINE

THAT HAS CAUSED SO MUCH PAIN

AND INSPIRED SO MANY KILLERS

MOURN OUR DEATH

AND FORGIVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

AS YOU YOURSELFWOULD WANT TO BE FORGIVEN

AND BY SO DOING

THROW YOURSELF

INTO THE SPOKES OF THE MACHINE

AND STOP IT

FRANK A VOLLMER

The Tolling of the Boats

THE TOLLING OF THE BOATS

LIKE A BELL BUOY
RINGING IN THE NIGHT
BONG BONG
BONG BONG
BONG BONG
THIS WAY
THIS WAY
THIS WAY
AT PEACE
AT PEACE
AT PEACE
AND THE SWIRLING FOG
LEFT TEARS OF REMEMBRANCE
ON THEIR FACES
THE OLD ONES
THE REMEMBERERS

I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE A GUEST
AT A SUBMARINERS
GRADUATION CEREMONY

THEY LOOKED LIKE CHILDREN
WERE WE EVER THAT YOUNG

BUT ALL GREW SOLEMN
AT THE TOLLING OF THE BOATS
SUBMARINES LOST AT SEA
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SERVICE

THE BOAT’S NAME WAS CALLED
THE BELL WAS TOLLED
THE DATE AND NUMBER OF DEAD FOLLOWED
A GROWING SENSE OF QUIET
FILLED THE ROOM

SHIPMATES GONE
MEMORIES OF YOUTH
AND GOOD TIMES
AND THE BELL TOLLING
FAREWELL
FAREWELL
FAREWELL

FRANK A VOLLMER