Monday, December 25, 2006

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

Sunday, December 24, 2006

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

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

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

Thursday, December 07, 2006

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