Waterfall

BY WATER BEGAN
THE SIFTING DOWN FOR EONS OF THE SILT
OF DYING CREATURES AND THE LAND
TRANSFORMED BY HEAT AND PRESSURE INTO STONE
BY UPHEAVAL THRUST TO MOUNTAIN FORM
THEN DOWN THE WATERS RAN
CUTTING THROUGH MOUNTAIN
THROUGH STONE
WILDLY THE WATERS RUN
TO DROP OFF A CLIFF AND PLUNGE INTO A POOL
TO PASS A BILLION YEARS OF STONE WITHIN ITS PLUNGE
RACING RUNNING SWIRLING FROTHING
LIVING WATER CUP OF STONE


Frank A. Vollmer

Away They Went Rejoicng

AWAY THEY WENT REJOICING
THE SHEPHERDS TO THEIR FLOCKS ABIDING
THEY NEEDED TENDING
AWAY THEY WENT
TRAILING THE SMELL OF SHEEP
SWEAT
AND CHEAP WINE

THEY PASSED A NOBLE CARAVAN
WITH ROYALTY PERCHED ON CAMELS
ONE SENSED CLEANLINESS
AND GOOD MANNERS
THEY NODDED AT EACH OTHER IN PASSING

SOME SAY
THE BIRTH NARRATIVES
ARE ROMANTIC FICTIONS
MEANT TO DRESS UP A DRAB
ORDINARY SCENE

AS IF TO SAY
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
WAS NOT MIRACLE ENOUGH

WE TAKE HIS LIFE
AND SIMPLE WORDS
AND SPIN AN UNRECOGNIZABLE TALE
AT WHICH THE SHEPHERDS
WOULD COMMENT
A COLLECTIVE
HUH

THE SIMPLE FACT IS GOD CAME

A SIMPLE FACT LIKE GOD
CREATED HEAVEN
AND EARTH

WE ARGUE OVER
METHODS AND DAYS
WHO CARES
GOD CREATED HEAVEN AND EARTH

GOD BECAME A MAN
TO LIVE AN ORDINARY LIFE
TO SUCKLE AT HIS MOTHER’S BREAST
TO KNOW HEAT AND COLD
HUNGER AND THIRST
TO WORK AT A TRADE
TO PAY THE BILLS
TO SHARE OUR OFTEN MUNDANE LIFE

IN AN ORDINARY BIRTH
NO ANGELS AUDIBLY SING
NO TRADESMEN COME TO CALL
NO ROYALTY BRING GIFTS

AND CHRIST CAME TO BE AN ORDINARY MAN

I MUST CONFESS
THAT CHRISTMAS STRIPPED DOWN
HAS MERIT
BUT LIKE HARDY’S POEM


If someone said on Christmas Eve,Come; see the oxen kneel,

I should go with him in the gloom,Hoping it might be so



COME GENTLE JESUS COME
YOUR BIRTH IS ENOUGH FOR ME
MAY I BRING THE GIFT OF WHO I AM
AND THE GIFT
OF WHAT WE BOTH
SHALL BE
WHEN WE GROW UP



FRANK A VOLLMER

Xmas

IT WAS THE COMING ON OF EVENING
THE SHADOWS GATHERING IN THE CORNERS
SPILLING OUT
FILING THE ROOM WHERE HE SAT
CONTENT
AT EASE
HAPPY TO BE AT HOME

SITTING IN THE DARKNESS
AT EVENING
CONTENT

IT HADN'T ALWAYS BEEN SO
IT WAS AN ACQUIRED HABIT
FOR LONG
HE HAD BEEN TOO BUSY
PREOCCUPIED
TO ENJOY THE DAILY TRIVIA
OF ORDINARY LIVING

BUT ONCE HE'D LEFT IT
ONCE HE'D GONE OFF
HE'D MISSED IT

SO THAT HE SAT IN THE DARK
QUIET AT TABLE
CONTENT
WAITING FOR HIS MOTHER
TO COME HOME
SUCH A NORMAL FEELING

WAITING WARM
IN HIS HOME
FOR HIS MOTHER
TO COME HOME

WHERE SHALL I BE BORN THIS YEAR
ON SOME LOST BOAT ON SOME LOST SEA
EXILED FROM MY COUNTRY AND NO OTHER PLACE
TO CALL HOME

SHALL I BE BORN AT SEA
OR IN A CAMP SUCKING DRYNESS
FROM MY MOTHER'S
WITHERED BREAST

WHERE SHALL I BE BORN

OR SHALL I BE BORN IN AN OLD MAN'S WHIMPER
WHO FINDS HIS INCOME CANNOT PAY
FOR RENT AND FOOD AND FUEL
AND IN THE TWILIGHT OF HIS YEARS
FINDS HUNGER HIS REWARD FOR SERVICE
WHERE SHALL I BE BORN

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
THOSE WHO FIND THEIR LIFE DIMINISHED
BY FORCES OUT OF THEIR CONTROL
WHO ALSO FIND NO REASON FOR THEIR PAIN
WHERE SHALL I BE BORN

PERHAPS AGAIN IN A STABLE
REJECTED
NOT ABLE TO JOIN THE PARTY

AT THE INN
SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE
A DOWN SYNDROME CHILD
OR ONE WITH AIDS
WHERE SHALL I BE BORN


GOOD EVENING MOM

HAVE YOU BEEN HERE LONG

I DON'T KNOW
I DON'T THINK SO
BESIDES
IT'S NICE JUST SITTING HERE
QUIET
IN OUR HOME
WAITING
ON THE DAY THAT I WAS BORN




FRANK A VOLLMER

Immigrant

The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34).

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35)...





IMMIGRANT


SO QUICK HAD THEY LEFT
THE ANGEL HAD GIVEN THEM NO TIME
HEROD WOULD DIM HIS SMILE
FOREVER
QUICK
BE GONE

WHERE SHALL I FIND WORK
TO FEED AND CLOTHE
AND SHELTER MY FAMILY

I
A STRANGER
IN A STRANGE LAND
WHOSE WAYS ARE DIFFERENT FROM MINE
WHOSE GODS ARE DIFFERENT FROM MINE
WHOSE SPEECH IS DIFFERENT FROM MINE

I HAVE SKILLS
IF THEY'LL LET ME USE THEM
PERHAPS THE SHIPYARDS ON THE SUEZ
WILL HAVE WORK
BUT WHATEVER WORK IS THERE
I'LL DO

WILL PEOPLE LOOK ASKANCE AT OUR CLOTHES
WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PACK
WHAT WE'RE WEARING
IS WHAT WE HAVE

WE ARE TOLD TO WELCOME THE STRANGER
IN OUR MIDST
A RULE THAT TRANSCENDS ALL RELIGIONS
MAY GOD BE WITH ME IN THE NEW LAND

IF THINGS WE'RE BETTER AT HOME
I WOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT
BUT THE CHOICE IS NOT MINE
IF THE CHILD SHOULD LIVE
AND BRING HIS SMILE
TO THE WORLD

FRANK A VOLLMER

Holy Innocents

A VOICE IS HEARD IN RAMAH, LAMENTATION AND BITTER WEEPING. RACHEL IS WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN



HOLY INNOCENTS



HEROD’S SOLDIERS ARE BUSY AGAIN IN DARFUR
SUDAN
SOMALIA
NIGER AND BANGLADESH
IRAQ
LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICA
USA

HAVE THEY EVER BEEN IDLE

WE STRUGGLE TO KEEP CHILDREN ALIVE IN THE WOMB
AND KILL THEM DAILY
WITH POVERTY
HUNGER
SICKNESS
WAR

ARE HEROD’S MEN BEING MORE MERCIFUL
ARE HEROD’S MEN ANGELS OF MERCY
BRINGING RELIEF IN TIMES OF TRIAL

THE LEGEND IS THAT CHRIST DIED
IN PART
TO BE WITH THE INNOCENTS
TO BE WITH THOSE WHO SUFFERED FOR HIM
TO BE WITH THOSE WHO DIED FOR NO GOOD REASON
TO BE WITH THOSE WHO DIE FOR NO GOOD REASON


TO BE POWERLESS IN THE FACE OF RACHEL’S PAIN
READING
WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU.............................

CHRIST CALLS OUT
IN THE VOICE OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE ABANDONED
ALL THOSE WHO ARE POWERLESS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE SPEECHLESS
ALL THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED NO VALUE
AND CRIES OUT
WHY

AND THE INNOCENTS CRY
WHY DID WE DIE

AND IN THE FACE OF RACHEL’S PAIN
WE ARE MUTE
ASHAMED
HUMBLED
AND POOR



FRANK A VOLLMER

Epiphany

I SUPPOSE I WASN'T ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR
BUT A LIFE FULL OF BOOKS AND STAR GAZING
OF DAYS SPENT SLEEPING
AND NIGHTS SKY WATCHING
OF BEING ALONE
OR WITH OTHERS EQUALLY ALONE
OF GROWING OLD WITH BOOKS... AND MUSTY
OF GROWING OLD

WELL AFTER ALL
WE'D HAD A ROUGH JOURNEY
THINGS HADN'T GONE ACCORDING TO PLAN
WHAT WITH NAUSEA FROM THE CAMEL'S ROCKING
AND THE SAND
WELL
WHAT HAD STARTED OUT AS A GREAT ADVENTURE
SOON BECAME
SAND IN OUR SHOES
IN OUR FOOD
IN OUR HAIR
IN OUR CLOTHES
IN OUR BLANKETS
IN OUR UNDERWEAR AND SHOES
EVERYWHERE
SAND
NO GREEN
OH AN OASIS OR TWO
BUT MOSTLY SAND

THEY SAY I SOMETIMES GRUMBLE
WELL MAYBE A LITTLE


AND THEN WHEN WE GOT THERE
THIS JOURNEY TO SEE A KING NEWBORN
NO PALACE
NO PURPLE
NO COUNCILORS
NO COURTIERS
NO COURTS AT ALL

A STABLE
THAT'S RIGHT A STABLE

TWO ORDINARY ADULTS
AND ONE ORDINARY CHILD
MAKING ANIMAL NOISES
AT HIS MOTHER'S BREAST
AND NOTHING ELSE

BUT THIS IS WHERE THE STAR HAD LED
THE STAR BY LEGEND AND DUSTY TOME FORETOLD
A STAR
A BIRTHPLACE MARKER OF A KING
BUT GREATER THAN A KING
GREATER THEN ALEXANDER OR CAESAR
EVEN GREATER THAN THE GODS
GREATER THAN ZEUS OR APOLLO

BUT SUCH A LOWLY BEGINNING
DID HE STOOP SO LOW
TO MAKE HIS LEAP UP HIGHER

BUT MELCHIOR
QUICK AS USUAL WITH HIS TONGUE
SAID MADAM
AND SIR
WE BEG YOU FORGIVE OUR INTRUSION
BUT WE HAVE TRAVELED MANY MILES
TO SEE YOUR SON
AND WOULD YOU DO US HONOR
AND LET US HONOR HIM

WELL THEY WERE QUITE FLUSTERED
AS PEOPLE USUALLY ARE WITH UNEXPECTED COMPANY
AND THEY SET TO WITH STRAIGHTENING UP
AND APOLOGIZING FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS
BUT SOON WE WERE ENTHRONED
ON THREE BALES OF STRAW
AND THERE WE SAT
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO SAY

THEN MARY SAID TO ME
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOLD THE CHILD
NOW I HAVE HELD COSTLY TELESCOPES
AND PRICELESS MANUSCRIPTS
BUT BABIES
NEVER


PERHAPS I HELD HIM WRONGLY
I DO NOT KNOW
BUT ANYWAY HE CRIED
AND MORE THAN CRIED
HE WET ALL OVER ME

NOW WHAT CAN BE WORSE
THAN A SOGGY SCHOLAR
OR A WET WISEMAN

BUT CASPER BEGAN TO GIGGLE
JOSEPH HAD TO TURN AWAY
MELCHIOR HAD COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL
AND MARY
I WATCHED THE TIREDNESS LEAVE HER EYES
TRIED NOT TO
BUT LOST AND LAUGHED
A BEAUTIFUL RINGING LAUGH

WELL
AFTER THAT WE HAD A LOVELY VISIT
I LEARNED TO HOLD HIM MORE EXPERTLY
AND DRY



I'M SORRY I MET THEM SO LATE IN LIFE
SO CLOSE TO THE SUNSET OF MY YEARS
I'D HAVE LIKED TO WATCH HIM GROW
THIS NEPHEW MINE
FOR WAS I NOT AN UNCLE NAMED
IN HONOR OF MY WETTING

I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO WATCH HIM GROW
TO SEE IN HIM MY YOUTH RENEWED
TO SEE THE WORLD WIDE EYED AGAIN
TO SMELL A DAISY
OR WATCH A BUMBLE BEE GO
PERHAPS I COULD HAVE TAUGHT HIM
AND THEREBY EXTEND MY YEARS
A SORT OF IMMORTALITY


I HOPE THAT LIFE IS GOOD TO HIM
THIS NEPHEW MINE
THAT MEN WILL GROW TO LOVE HIM

BUT MOST OF ALL
WHEN MY MOST LONELY THOUGHTS PREVAIL
I WISH THAT HE WERE MINE

Frank A Vollmer