Vinny

I'VE TAKEN MY CAT TO THE VET
IT WAS QUITE AN ADVENTURE
HE WOULDN'T GO INTO HIS CARRIER
NEITHER BACKWARDS
OR FORWARD
UP OR DOWN
HE PREFERRED OUT TO IN
I LET HIM WIN

BUT THEN
ARMED
WITH LONG CUFFED FIREPLACE GLOVES
I WON I WON I WON
I GOT HIM IN
HE DIDN'T WIN
I GOT HIM IN

I HAVEN'T HAD LUCK WITH VETS
EVER SINCE
I TOOK MY PET ANTNY
IN TO BE NEUTERED
AND CAME HOME WITH A SPAYED
ANTOINETTE
I'D NEVER CHECKED

THIS AFTER TELLING THE VET STAFF
RIBALD JOKES
HOW I HAD THROWN ANTNY
A BACHELOR PARTY
AND GIVEN HIM
A CATNIP HIGH
WITH ASSORTED MALE JOCK HUMOR

I LEFT TO THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER
WITH MY DELICATE
ANTOINETTE

WHEN I FINALLY GOT VINNY TO THE VET
I EXPECTED ANOTHER FIGHT
NONE
HE CAME OUT OF HIS CAGE
A PERFECT GENTLEMAN


BUT AFTER THE VET EXAMINED HIM
HE GAVE HIM SHOTS
WHEN HE RELEASED VINNY
HE RAN AND HID IN HIS CAGE

HOW LIKE
I THOUGHT
OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD

WE FIGHT HIM
UNTIL WE GET HURT
THEN RUN TO HIM

VINNY’S WELL
AND THE DOCTOR SAID
THE DOCTOR SAID
THE SCRATCHES WILL HEAL

AND ANTOINETTE
IS
QUEEN OF MY HEART

FRANK A VOLLMER

Syro-Phoenician

WHEN THE WOMAN APPROACHED JESUS
HER FACE SET LIKE FLINT
EXPECTING SCORN
SHE WAS SYRO-PHOENICIAN
AND FEMALE

ONE WAS LOW
THE OTHER LOWER
BUT NEED FORCED HER TO SAY
HEAL MY DAUGHTER

HE ANSWERED
AS SHE EXPECTED
IT IS NOT RIGHT
TO TAKE THE BREAD OF ANGELS
AND FEED IT TO DOGS

UNDETERRED
SHE SPARRED WITH HIM
EVEN DOGS ARE FED FROM THE TABLE

HIS EYES SOFTENED
HIS WHOLE MANNER CHANGED
HE'D BEEN BESTED IN AN ARGUMENT

GO
YOUR DAUGHTER IS HEALED


FRANK A VOLLMER

The Potter

THE POTTER LOOKED AT THE WORK OF HIS HANDS
AND LOVED HIS CREATION
I SHALL CALL YOU
BELOVED OF MY HEART
SPOUSE …PARENT... FRIEND
YOU SHALL HOLD ALL THAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME
AND WHEN AS TIME WILL
THE VESSEL BREAKS
I SHALL CLAIM THE CONTENTS
AS MY OWN
EVEN THAT
WHICH YOU GAVE AWAY
AS SPOUSE …PARENT... FRIEND
INVESTING THE TALENTS I FILLED YOU WITH
AND YOU USED
HONORING MY NAME


FRANK A VOLLMER

VT

KYRIE ELEISON
CHRISTE ELEISON
KYRIE ELEISON
LORD HAVE MERCY

WHY
SAYS THE YOUNGER CHILD
ARE THESE DEATHS
DIFFERENT
FROM ANY OTHER DEATHS

WHY DO THESE DEATHS
HAVE MONUMENTS
WHEN SO MANY
HAVE NO MONUMENT
AT ALL

IF WE MOURN ONE
SHOULD WE NOT MOURN ALL
SHOULD NOT EVERYMAN’S DEATH
BE UNIQUE

WHAT MADNESS
TAKES AWAY
THE LIFE OF ONE
WHAT MADNESS
TAKES AWAY
THE LIFE OF MANY
ARE MADNESS
AND EVIL
THE SAME THING

WHERE ARE TEARS
WHEN THOUSAND DIE

ARE CHILDREN BORN
TO BE LED TO SLAUGHTER
BECAUSE OF MEN’S FOLLY

IT IS NEVER EASY
WHEN PARENTS
BURY CHILDREN
ESPECIALLY
WHEN THEY ASK
FOR WHAT PURPOSE
WAS MY DEATH

AND THE ANSWER
IS LIKE DRY LEAVES
GATHERING
AND STILL


FRANK A VOLLMER

Trees of Promise

WE ARE LIKE TREES IN GOD’S EYES

WITH ONE EYE HE SEES US
IN SPRINGTIME FINERY

FLOWERED
AND LEAFED

AND MOVING
TO THE WIND OF THE SPIRIT

WITH THE OTHER EYE
HE SEES US AS WINTER TREES

LIMBS BROKEN
BATTERED BARK
ROOTS EXPOSED

MAYBE SOME TRUNK ROT
SETTING IN

AND HE LOVES US
NOT FOR WHAT WE ARE
BUT WHAT WE CAN BECOME

AND IF AT THE END
OR ANYTIME

WE ARE LIKE THE GOOD THIEF
WHO CRIES
BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER

I HAVE NOT BOURNE FRUIT
NOR PROVIDED SHADE
NOR GIVEN SHELTER TO BIRDS

HE
SEEING OUR SUMMER TREE
OF PROMISE
SAYS

WELCOME HOME


FRANK A VOLLMER

Labyrinth

IT’S LIKE FOLLOWING GOD’S WILL
ONE COULD GET TO THE GOAL FASTER
BY STEPPING OVER THE LINES
BUT THEN
THE JOURNEY
WOULD HAVE NO MEANING
THE JOURNEY IS PART OF THE QUEST
THE JOURNEY
IS FOLLOWING
THE WILL OF THE CREATOR
THERE’S LETTING GO
AND LETTING GOD
REACHING THE CENTER
AND KNOWING YOU ARE HOME

FRANK A VOLLMER

Sarah

WHEN ABRAHAM BURIED SARAH
HE TOLD HIS SERVANTS
CLOSE THE TOMB GENTLY
FOR WITH IT
YOU CUT OFF
PART OF MY HEART

I REMEMBER MOST OF ALL
HER LAUGH
IT CHEERED ME
WHEN THE PROMISES OF GOD SEEMED HOPELESS

HER LAUGH
WAS A YOUNG GIRL’S LAUGH
NO MATTER HOW OLD SHE BECAME
LIKE LAUGHING AT ANGELS
WHOSE NEWS WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

GOD CALLED HER PRINCESS
AND SHE WAS
OF MY HEART
AND HER FAMILY

ROLL THE STONE GENTLY ON HER TOMB
AND LET ME ALONE
TO MOURN HER
AS NIGHT FALLS

FRANK A VOLLMER