Bah Humbug

BAH HUMBUG


I MUST BE HAVING AN OLD TESTAMENT MOMENT
I WAS GOING TO SAY
I DON’T WANT YOUR FESTIVE CHOIRS
OR TRIUMPHANT BRASS
OR ANY OTHER SIGNS OF CELEBRATION

I CAME TO BRING PEACE
THERE IS NO PEACE
TO BRING LOVE
IT’S IN SHORT SUPPLY
TO BRING JUSTICE
IT’S FOR SALE
TO REMOVE POVERTY
WE CAN’T AFFORD IT

EVEN MY CRIB
IN A MANGER
IS BETTER THAN MANY

MY MOTHER’S BREAST FLOWS
OTHER MOTHER’S BREAST ARE DRY

HEROD’S MEN ARE BUSY SLAYING BABIES

WOULD THAT THE WORLD
WOULD THROW UP
IN AN ACT OF REVULSION
ALL THE EVIL AND BILE
ALL THE DEEP ENTRENCHED HATRED
ALL THE ME FIRST ATTITUDE
ALL THAT CHAINS THEM
TO OLD HABITS

DO THEY NEED A SILENT NIGHT
OR ACTIVITY
TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE WORKING

THAT THEY REMAIN CONSCIOUS
OF THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE
THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD BE

MOST OLD TESTAMENT HARANGUES
END HAPPILY
WITH A PROMISE OF A NEW JERUSALEM

SO I’M ENOUGH OF A BIRTHDAY BOY
TO HOPE THAT THE CHOIR
AND THE BRASS
SOUND WELL

FRANK A VOLLMER

Not a Stump

A BRANCH SHALL COME
FROM THE TRUNK OF JESSE’S FAMILY TREE

IT WILL BE CALLED
WISE
UNDERSTANDING
CONSOLING
MIGHTY
PRINCE OF PEACE

A BETTER IMAGE THAN STUMP
OF FORESTS DENUDED
AS THE ASSYRIANS DID
TO THE LAND AROUND JERUSALEM

BUT THE PROMISES OF GOD
WEREN’T IN THE FORESTS OR THE CITY

THE SON OF DAVID WOULD COME

THE LINEAGE OF DAVID
WOULD PROGRESS
FATHER TO SON
UNTIL FULFILLED IN CHRIST

NOT A STUMP
BUT A TREE WOULD SURVIVE

NOT A WASTELAND
BUT A LAND RESEEDED
BY THE MOTHER TREE

NOT A WASTELAND
BUT A TREE
WHERE THOSE WHO WERE SCATTERED
LIKE FRIGHTENED BIRDS
COULD COME BACK
AND FIND REFUGE

THE PROMISE
THE LINEAGE
WOULD COME TRUE

THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL
ONCE MORE BEARS FRUIT

AND WE ARE ASKED TO PARTAKE

THIS IS MY BODY
MY BLOOD

COME AND BE PART OF ME

FRANK A VOLLMER

The Widow

YOU SON OF A BITCH
WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME
YOU SON OF A BITCH


SHE THOUGHT THE WORDS
SHE didn't SAY THEM

IT STARTLED HER
SHE KNEW THE WORDS
BUT DIDN’T USE THEM

WHERE DID THEY COME FROM
WHAT WELL OF LONELINESS
WHERE GHOSTS DWELL
AND UNICORNS RUN FREE

WHAT BROUGHT IT ON
DID SHE ROLL OVER
FIND THE BED EMPTY

DID SHE SOMEHOW MISS
THE TOILET SEAT UP
OR UNDERWEAR ON THE FLOOR

DID SHE MISS HIS TALKING TO THE TV
WHEN THE NEWS WAS ON
OR THE QUARTERBACK
THREW AN INTERCEPTION

WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME
WHY
SHE CRIES INTO A SOGGY PILLOW

THE SHADOWS SURROUND HER

THEY SAY NOTHING IN REPLY

BUT SOME OF YOU IS MISSING

YOU’RE ALLOWED TO CRY

FRANK A VOLLMER

The Widow Speaks

THE WORD WIDOW IN HEBREW MEANS SILENT ONE
SHE HAD NO VOICE IN A MALE DOMINATED SOCIETY
WITHOUT A SON HER PLIGHT WAS MISERABLE
SHE HAD NO DIGNITY
OR WORTH
SHE WAS NOTHING

SO WHEN SHE HAD A CASE BEFORE THE COURT
THE JUDGE
ADMITTEDLY CORRUPT
BY HIS OWN ADMISSION
WOULD NOT HEAR HER

SHE HAD NO MONEY FOR A BRIBE
NO PRESTIGE TO APPLY PRESSURE
THE JUDGE IGNORED HER
BUT SHE WOULD NOT BE A VICTIM
SHE THREATENED HIM WITH BODILY HARM
WITH A BLACK EYE REALLY

BECAUSE SHE WAS NOISY
AND WOULD NOT BE SILENT
THE THREAT OF HARM
HE JUDGED THE CASE IN HER FAVOR

JESUS SAID WHEN YOU PRAY
BE LIKE THE WIDOW
BE PERSISTENT

I'VE ALWAYS HAD TWO MINDS ABOUT PRAYER
.
ON ONE HAND
WHEN I SAY
YOUR WILL BE DONE
TO MEAN IT

ON THE OTHER
WHEN I SEE A VICTIM
LIKE THE WIDOW
TO RESIST IT

I DON'T FEEL AS CHRISTIANS
WE SHOULD BE MILQUETOAST
IN FRONT OF EVIL

THE WIDOW WAS NOT SILENT
SHE SPOKE UP
SO SHOULD WE
WHEN THE WIDOW HAS NO VOICE


FRANK A VOLLMER

Bring Out Your Dead

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD THE WATCHMAN CRIED
IN THE CITY WHERE HE WAS RIDING
ON A CART PILED HIGH WITH LAST YEARS DREAMS
AND LONG REMEMBERED ANGERS

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

THIS CITY THAT WAS ONCE SO FAIR
WHOSE WALLS WERE WHITE AND RIVERS CLEAR

WHERE MEN WALKED OUT ALONE AND UNAFRAID

HAS BECOME A STINK HOUSE OF REMEMBERED PAIN
AND PENT UP SORROW

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

LET WINDOWS ONCE MORE OPEN TO THE BREEZE
AND PIPERS PLAY NO MORE THE FUNERAL MARCH BUT GAY

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

THAT MEN MAY SAY ON PASSING BY
A FAIR CITY THERE PLEASING TO THE EYE
AND HEAR
THE LAUGHTER RINGING IN THE AIR

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

FRANK A VOLLMER

Nuda Genu

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG SCHOLAR
STRUGGLING WITH AENEID
THERE CAME A PHRASE
NUDA GENU
BARE OF KNEE
WHAT RHAPSODIES TO A YOUNG MIND
A BARE KNEE ON SOME COMELY MAIDEN

NOW THE KNEE THAT I ADMIRE
IS OLD AND BROKEN
IT NEEDS REPAIR

TWO KNEES
A LIFE APART
ONE
THE FANTASY OF YOUTH
ROOTLESS
THE OTHER
THE DREAM OF AGE
ROOTED IN LOVE
AND STRUGGLE

TWO KNEES
TO ONLY ONE I GENUFLECT
I SEE ONLY
COMELY MAIDEN
NO MATTER
HOW OLD

FRANK A VOLLMER

Snapshot #1

BLACK WATER SWIRLS AROUND THE PIER

THE SUN HAS GONE FOR THE DAY

GULLS FLY SEEKING REFUGE

BUSY LIGHTS DOT THE HARBOR

A TIRED FISHING BOAT

COMES CHUGGING IN

BLACK WATER SWIRLS AROUND THE PIER


FRANK A VOLLMER

I Don't Believe In God

I DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD
I AGREE WITH THE ATHEISTS

I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE GOD
THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN
EITHER

THE WHITE
BEARDED
MONARCH
WHO WILLY NILLY
INFLICTS PAIN

WHO IS DISINTERESTED
IN THE WORLD HE CREATED
I DON’T BELIEVE
IN THIS GOD

I BELIEVE IN A GOD
OF HOPE AND PROMISE

A GOD WHO SAYS

I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, Create my people as pure delight.I'll take joy in Jerusalem, Take delight in my people:
No more sounds of weeping in the city, No cries of anguish;No more babies dying in the cradle, Or old people who don't enjoy a full lifetime;

One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal— Anything less will seem like a cheat.





They'll build houses And move in.
They'll plant fields And eat what they grow.
No more building a house That some outsider takes over,
No more planting fields That some enemy confiscates,
For my people will be as long-lived as trees, My chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work.
They won't work and have nothing come of it, They won't have children snatched out from under them.

GOD HAS PROMISED
I BELIEVE IT
IT WILL BE SO

I BELIEVE
THE ACCEPTANCE OF STATUS QUO
IS AN IRRELIGIOUS ACT

A BETRAYAL
OF HIM
WHO GAVE US THE WORLD
TO CARE FOR

IS THE WORLD BETTER
FOR DIFFERENT CREEDS
WHERE IS THE PROOF IN THE PUDDING

SAVE ME FROM RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
WHO SING
PRAISE GOD
ALL THE DAY
AND DO NOTHING



IT’S A WONDER
THE ATHEIST’S FIRE
DOESN’T FLARE HIGHER
WE FEED IT SO MUCH FUEL

Before they call out, I'll answer. Before they've finished speaking, I'll have heard.
Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, Lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, But snakes—they'll get a diet of dirt!
Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill Anywhere on my Holy Mountain," says God.

IN THIS ADVENT SEASON
COME AGAIN
LORD JESUS
COME AGAIN

LET THE MIRACLE
OF YOUR INCARNATION
INFUSE SOCIETY
AND LET THEIR BE
NO MORE KILLING
ON YOUR HOLY MOUNTAIN

FRANK A VOLLMER

I'm Learning Humility From My Cat

I’M LEARNING HUMILITY FROM MY CAT
I’M NOT AN APT STUDENT
I STILL THINK
THE SUN RISES AND SETS FOR ME
AND THAT GOD IS A MEMBER OF MY STAFF

BUT I’M LEARNING HUMILITY FROM MY CAT
I SHOULD SAY OUR CAT
BETTER YET
HER CAT

I’M INVISIBLE
SOMETHING TO WALK AROUND
UNLESS HE WANTS TO BE BRUSHED
THEN HE MOUNTS THE OTTOMAN
IMPERIOUSLY STARES AT ME
UNTIL I GIVE IN
WHEN HE’S HAD ENOUGH
HE JUST WALKS AWAY
NOT EVEN A LICK
I FEEL SO CHEAP AND USED
HE NEVER SENDS ME FLOWERS
IF HE DID
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE POISON IVY

I’D NEVER SAY
IT’S THE CAT OR ME
MY BAGS WOULD BE PACKED
AND AT THE DOOR

IN THE PECKING ORDER
IN OUR HOUSE
I’M ON THE NEXT PAGE

AH WELL
ALAS ALAS AND LACKADAY
I’M LEARNING HUMILITY
FROM MY CAT