Apocalypse

JOHN’S APOCALYPSE
IS NOT SOME FUTURE THING
HOOF BEATS IN THE DISTANCE

HE WROTE IT FOR NOW
HIS NOW
AND ALL THE NOWS
TILL NOW

WHEN IF EVER
HAVE THE FOUR HORSEMEN
BEEN CORRALLED

HAVE WE ANY LACK OF LEADERS
MARCHING TO VICTORY
ON THE BROKEN BODIES
OF THE DIFFERENT SIDES
ON A SPIRITED WHITE HORSE

SAYING TO THE WOUNDED
AND THOSE LEFT ORPHAN
AND WIDOWED
WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR SACRIFICE

AND THEN HIDING THEM
AS SOMETHING EMBARRASSING

HE DID NOT MIND THE CARNAGE
OR DESTRUCTION

HE LEFT THAT
FOR THE RED HORSE
AND ITS RIDER

WHO RODE THROUGH A FOREST
OF BROKEN TREES
DECORATED WITH ENTRAILS

ON LAWN
COLORED RED WITH BLOOD

PAST PILES OF BONES

PAST BLIND PEOPLE
VICTIMS OF AN EYE FOR AN EYE

MOTHERS KILLED SON
AND FATHERS DAUGHTERS
THE OLD NEGLECTED
AND THE INFIRM LEFT

NO ONE WAILED
BECAUSE NO ONE CARED

THOSE WHO WERE LEFT
THE HAVES
AND THE HAVE-NOTS

WHERE SOON BESIEGED
BY THE WHITE HORSE
AND ITS RIDER

AND A VOICE CRYING


A QUART OF WHEAT
FOR A DAY'S WAGES
AND THREE QUARTS OF BARLEY
FOR A DAY'S WAGES
AND DO NOT DAMAGE
THE OIL AND THE WINE

THOSE WHO EAT WELL
WILL STILL
EAT WELL

THOSE WHO DO NOT
WILL BARELY SURVIVE

DIVES WILL DINE IN STYLE
BUT LAZARUS
WILL DINE WITH THE DOGS

THEN COMES PESTILENCE
ON A PALE GREEN HORSE

CRYING BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

WELL IN THE MORNING
STIFF AT NIGHT

ANIMALS RAID GRAVEYARDS
FOR THE MEAT

VULTURES CANNOT FLY
BECAUSE OF GLUTTONY

GOD WEEPS IN HEAVEN
FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIS CREATION

THIS IS NOT MY WILL

HOBBLE THE HORSES

THE POETIC VISION OF JOHN
IS IF MEN DO NOT CHANGE

I WILL IT SO
MY WILL BE DONE

DO WE SAY IT MECHANICALLY
OR DO WE MEAN IT

WE ARGUE ABOUT ANGELS ON A PIN
AND DO NOT HEAR THE CRY FOR CHANGE

ARE WE HYPOCRITE IN OUR PRAYERS

THE THUNDER OF HORSES
IS ALL AROUND US
IT IS OUR TASK
TO CORRAL THEM

FRANK A VOLLMER

Late Autumn

THE MOON WAS PAINTING SILVER CLOUDS

WHICH DANCED ALONG ON SILVER AIR

A MEADOW LARK FLEW THROUGH THE SKY

CHANTING A MELODY SWEET AND FAIR



THE WIND BLEW FITFULLY THROUGH THE TREES

AND LITTLE LEAVES WERE PUT TO SLEEP

THE ROSE IN FINAL SIGHS

GAVE TO MY HEART ITS SOUL TO KEEP


FRANK A VOLLMER

Corners of the Earth

IN BIBLICAL TIMES
THE EARTH WAS VIEWED
AS SQUARE
AND FLAT

THE WINDS THAT BLEW
FROM THE FLAT SIDES
WERE GOOD
THOSE FROM THE CORNERS
LIKE NORTHEASTERS
WERE BAD

SO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD
WERE AS FAR AS A MAN COULD RUN
AVOIDING GOD
LIKE JONAH

THE PSALMIST SINGS

IS THERE ANYPLACE I CAN GO
TO AVOID YOUR SPIRIT? TO BE OUT OF YOUR SIGHT

JOHN WOULD HAVE FOUR ANGELS
AT THE CORNERS OF THE EARTH

HOLDING BACK
THE WINDS OF DESTRUCTION
TILL ALL WHO WOULD BE SAVED
WERE SAVED

AND I THOUGHT
THIS GOD WHO HOVERS OVER ME
LIKE A CLOUD

WHO CARES FOR ME
LIKE A MOTHER

IS THERE ANY LIMIT
TO HIS LOVE FOR ME

THAT GOES TO THE CORNERS
OF THE EARTH
AND BEYOND

WHO DID NOT MAKE ME
TO ABANDON ME

BUT RATHER HOLDS ME
IN THE PALM
OF HIS HAND

Wild Geese Flying

HE HEARD THEM FIRST

BARKING IN THE NIGHT

LIKE WILD DOGS

UNTIL CURIOSITY DROVE AWAY THE SLEEP

PUT ONE FOOT FORTH TO TEST THE AIR

WRAPPED HIS BLANKETS

AND PUSHED HIM FROM THE TENT

TO STAND AND WATCH THE CALLING GEESE

FLY ACROSS THE MOON

PERHAPS IT WAS THE WAY HE STOOD

BLANKET ROBED

ARMS ENTWINED AGAINST THE COLD

THAT MADE HIM THINK

BRAVE INDIAN CHIEF AM I
CHIEF HAPPY LAUGHTER
OR RAIN COME SINGING DOWN
THAT MADE HIM WISH
FOR TIMES LESS TROUBLED
THAN HIS OWN
AND KNEW THE WISH WAS FOOLISH
EVEN CHIEF RUNNING WATER
KNEW TIMES OF DROUGHT
HOW FOOLISH TO KEEP WASTING LIFE IN WISHES
TO WISH FOR PEACEFUL TIMES THAT NEVER WERE
FOR EACH MAN'S LIFE IS TO THE BRIM WITH SORROW

EACH AGE HAS ITS OWN PECULIAR TALE OF WOE

FAR BETTER TO ACCEPT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN

TO RECOGNIZE ITS ILLS,

TO SEEK IT’S CURE
THAN TO SPEND THE TIME BEWAILING SUMMER DREAMS
GOOD GOD HE THOUGHT

DO WE THINK THAT CHRIST HUNG OUT IN RAIN

AND THUNDER

FOR EVERY AGE BUT OURS

HE FELT THE COLD

COME CREEPING UP HIS STOCKING

BUT HE KNEW

AS LONG AS GEESE CAME BARKING BY

HE WOULD STAY

EVEN UNTIL THE DAWN


FRANK A VOLLMER

Barnyard Cat

THE LEGEND GOES
THAT ON CHRISTMAS DAY
THE BABY LAY SHIVERING
AND FUSSING

THE STABLE WAS COLD
IT HAD NO HEAT

THE PARENTS HAD DONE WHAT THEY COULD

YOU CAN ONLY CARRY SO MUCH
ON FOOT
FROM NAZARETH TO BETHLEHEM

WHEN AN ALLEY CAT
AN ORDINARY TABBY
A MOUSER
A STABLE DWELLER

JUMPED IN THE FEED BOX

STARTLED THE PARENTS
MADE TO SHOO IT
BUT STOPPED
THE BABY WAS SLEEPING
THE CAT WAS PURRING
AND LENDING BODY WARMTH

IT STAYED WITH THE BABY
AS LONG AS THEY STAYED IN THE STABLE

WHEN THEY WERE READY TO LEAVE
MARY PETTED THE CAT

THANKED IT FOR ITS SERVICE
AND LEFT THE LETTER M
ON ITS FACE

TWO VERTICAL LINES
UNDER ITS EYES
AND A V
OVER ITS NOSE

MANY CATS TODAY
CARRY THE MARK

A REMINDER
THOSE CHILDREN
ARE STILL COLD

THAT IF AN ANIMAL COULD HELP
AN ORDINARY BARNYARD TABBY
WHY NOT HUMANS

FRANK A VOLLMER

Support Groups

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE DAMIAN
WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS SICKNESS
BY SAYING
WE LEPERS

THERE IS A BOND THAT GOES OUT
TO ALL ASSEMBLED

THAT SAYS
THIS IS SOMEONE FAMILIAR
WITH WHISTLING
PAST GRAVEYARDS

WE ARE MANY
YOUNG
OLD
MARRIED
SINGLE
CHRISTIAN
JEW
WHATEVER
WE ARE DIFFERENT
WE HAVE FACED THE BEAST

BUT WE ARE ONE

AND IN THIS ONENESS
I OFTEN HEAR
OR FEEL
THOUGH MANY
DO NOT KNOW HIS NAME
THE PRESENCE OF HIM WHO SAYS
WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED

HE IGNORES THE NAME RECOGNITION
AND STAND SILENT
READY TO HELP

BY NOT MAKING THE LAME MAN WALK
BUT TO FIND INNER PEACE
IN HIS LAMENESS



EXPRESSED
IN THIS HERD INSTINCT
TO HEAR ANOTHER’S PAIN
AND SHARE YOUR OWN

AND THE SPIRIT
BROODS OVER THE CHAOS
OF OUR LIVES
AND MAKES A NEW CREATION

THE TALK GOES ON
OF TREATMENTS
AND PAIN
LIFE CHANGES
CHEMO BRAIN
PHYSICAL CHANGES

BUT ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE
I HEAR
THE SIBILANT
SOUND OF WINGS

FRANK A VOLLMER

St. Andrew

THEY SAY ST ANDREW WAS CRUCIFIED
ON A CROSS SHAPED LIKE AN X
LIKE A TIMES SYMBOL
LIKE AN X

HE WAS GIVEN A GREEK NAME
NOT A JEWISH ONE
A SIGN HIS PARENTS WERE OPEN MINDED
NOT BOUND BY RULES
WHICH HAD NO MEANING

HIS WAS A QUESTING MIND
FIRST TO JOIN JOHN THE BAPTIST
THEN ON TO JESUS

FROM TEACHER
TO HIGHER TEACHER

AND THEN CAME THE ACT
FOR WHICH HE WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN
HE BROUGHT PETER TO JESUS
HE WAS THE FIRST APOSTLE
HE BROUGHT PETER TO JESUS

LATER
HE WOULD BRING THE LITTLE BOY
WHO HAD LOAVES AND FISHES TO JESUS

LATER STILL
HE WOULD BRING MEN TO JESUS

LATER STILL
HE WOULD DIE FOR JESUS

A TRUE WITNESS
TO THE MEANING OF HIS NAME
MANHOOD
VALOR

ANDREW
WHO LEFT ALL TO FOLLOW JESUS
TO BECOME A FISHER OF MEN
MAY WE USE YOU AS A GUIDE
TO BRING OTHERS TO JESUS

COME AND SEE
I HAVE FOUND THE LORD


FRANK A VOLLMER