The Creche

THE CROTCHETY OLD MINISTER
SET IN HIS WAYS
CAME DOWN FROM HIS CHRISTMAS EVE NAP
AND FOUND HIS GRANDCHILDREN
PLAYING WITH THE NATIVITY CRIB FIGURES

HIS INSTINCT WAS TO CRY OUT SACRILEGE
THIS WAS HIS PRIDE AND JOY
A FINE ITALIAN MADE SET
HAND CARVED AND PAINTED
AND ILLUMINATED JUST SO
A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE TO BEHOLD
AND HERE THEY WERE PLAYING WITH IT
LIKE ACTION FIGURES

WHAT STOPPED HIM FROM YELLING
IN HIS GRANDFATHER VOICE
HE DID NOT KNOW
HE’D BEEN GRUFF BEFORE
BUT HE STAYED WHERE HE WAS
AND LISTENED
AND THIS IS WHAT HE HEARD
THE OLDER CHILD TEACHING THE YOUNGER

AT THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTMAS
THIS IS WHERE THEY ARE
SCATTERED ALL OVER
THE ANIMALS AND THE PEOPLE
BUSY DOING ANIMAL AND PEOPLE THINGS

BUT WHEN JESUS IS BORN
THEY ALL WANT TO BE AROUND HIM
LIKE A MAGNET DRAWS METAL
THAT’S WHY SO MANY CAROLS SAY COME
AND THERE IS NO PUSHING OR SHOVING
THERE’S ROOM FOR EVERYONE
EVEN GRAND POP WHEN HE’S NOT SMILING
OR EAVESDROPPING ON THE STAIR

FRANK A VOLLMER

BASED ON A SERMON BY PASTOR DAVID MCGETTIGAN

Someone's Missing at Christmas

IT PERVADED THE HOUSE
LIKE THE AROMAS
FROM THE KITCHEN
THE SENSE OF SOMETHING MISSING
OF SOMEONE MISSING
LIKE A MELODY
MISSING A NOTE
OR A POEM
MISSING A VERSE
IT FELT INCOMPLETE

WHAT A TRIBUTE
TO THE PERSON GONE
TO BE MISSED
THAT A PART OF ONE’S HEART
HAD GONE WITH THEM

SORROW
YES
THEY COULD UNDERSTAND
BUT ALSO THEY WOULD SAY
CELEBRATE MY LIFE

THE JOKES WE TOLD
THE ADVENTURES WE HAD
THE GOOD TIMES
THE BAD TIMES
THE ORDINARY
DAY TO DAY TIMES

THE TIMES WE WERE BROUGHT
TOAST AND TEA
ON A GREEN SAUCER
AND A YELLOW CUP

CELEBRATE MY LIFE
AND I SHALL LIVE ON
AND I SHALL PERMEATE YOUR LIFE
LIKE AN AROMA
WAFTING FROM THE KITCHEN


FRANK A VOLLMER

Tombstone Reader

TOMBSTONE READER


I WANDERED THROUGH THE HILLSIDE CEMETERY
TRYING TO READ
THE WEATHERED MARKINGS ON THE STONES
SOME STALWART ONES
STILL LEANED AGAINST THE HILL
WHILE OTHERS
TIRED
HAD FALLEN AND SETTLED
ON THE GROUND

IT WAS AN ANCIENT CEMETERY
WEATHER-WORN AND OVERGROWN
YET HERE I FOUND ONE PLOT
THOUGH OVERGROWN AS WERE THE REST
BORE ON ITS BOSOM A ROSE BUSH
THE STONE STILL STANDING

AND ETCHED UPON IT VERY DEEP
AS IF TO SHOW THE CARVER'S SORROW
WAS WRITTEN ANNIE
AND NOTHING MORE

HOW PRETTY THE BUSH
IN THIS SO DESOLATE SPOT
I WONDERED WHO HAD PLANTED IT
SOME LOVER OR A HUSBAND
HAD DUG AWAY THE DIRT
THEN STANDING
LOOKING AT IT
HAD RECALLED LAUGHTER

SOME SISTER OR A BROTHER
HAD LOOKING AT THE STONE
REMEMBERED THE BITTER THINGS
THAT CHILDREN SOMETIMES SAY

SOME CHILD
HAD LOVINGLY PATTED DOWN THE EARTH
AND GAVE IT
ITS FIRST WATERING
TEARS

SOME MOTHER
OR A FATHER
LOOKING AT IT BLOOMING
HAD CAUGHT THEMSELVES REPEATING
ANNIE ANNIE ANNIE

WHAT WAS ANNIE REALLY LIKE
I THOUGHT

IT HAD GROWN DARK
THE SUN WAS COLD
AND SLOWLY SETTING

WHAT WAS ANNIE REALLY LIKE
I THOUGHT

I PLUCKED A ROSE
FROM OFF THE BUSH
AND SLOWLY WALKED THE HILLSIDE DOWN
CRADLING IT IN MY HAND



FRANK A VOLLMER

COMMUNION OF SAINTS (1 Corinthians 12)

THERE IS A PLACE CALLED HORIZON

WHERE I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SKY

A PLACE I CANNOT REACH

NO MATTER HOW I TRY

BUT THERE IS A PLACE

WHERE MEET HEAVEN AND EARTH

THE ALTAR

THE TABLE

WHERE CHRIST COMES FOR RE-BIRTH

BRINGING WITH HIM

ALL WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE

AS IF THERE WAS IN TIME A DOOR

THROUGH WHICH CAN COME

ALL I LOVE

MY SAVIOR

AND MY HEART FRIENDS

TO THIS PLACE

TO THIS TRYSTING PLACE

WHERE LOVERS MEET

WHERE FOR A MOMEN

TALL MY HEART PAINS ARE EASED

IN THE PRESENCE

OF ALL I LOVE

WITH ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS

GATHERED AT THE HORIZON

GATHERED IN UNION

GATHERED IN COMMUNION

WE ALL SING IN JOY

IN LOVE

IN CONSOLATION

HOLY HOLY HOLY

FRANK A VOLLMER

HMNNN

Marriage is love. ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN IT PROBABLY RATES A ONE THIRTEEN IF IT'S ON THE LIST AT ALL IN A WORLD WHERE CHILDREN GO TO BED HUNGRY WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND SLEEP IN CARDBOARD BOXES WHERE SOLDIERS ARE SENT TO FIGHT FOR OIL AND THE LINE BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR IS STEADILY WIDENING SOMEHOW WHICH ORIFICE IS USED IN SEXUAL LOVE DIMINISHES TO NON IMPORTANCE ESPECIALLY WHEN HETEROSEXUALS SOMETIMES USE THEM THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT HOMOSEXUALITY MIGHT BE GENETIC ARE WE NOT IN DANGER OF CONDEMNING GALILEO OR DARWIN AGAIN I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A HERMAPHRODITE WHOM MAY THAT PERSON LOVE DID GOD MAKE A MISTAKE TO MAKE HIM/HER ONE WAY AND THEN TELL HIM/HER TO LIVE ANOTHER IS GOD LIKE A LITTLE BOY WHO TEARS WINGS OFF FLIES TO SEE IF THEY FLY IN CIRCLES IS THE FRUIT OF FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OF THE GOD EXPERIENCE A CONDEMNING GOD WHO CALLS HIMSELF LOVE GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON TO CREATE THAT IMAGE RATHER WE WHO WOULD BE GOD-LIKE HAVE DONE SO WE HAVE EATEN OF THE TREE AND FOUND EVERYONE BUT OURSELVES NAKED FATHER OF THE POOR THE WIDOW AND THE ORPHAN THE MESSAGE IS GIVEN TO US TO CARE NOT TO CONDEMN FRANK A VOLMER