Exaltation

It’s late, but I haven’t posted today. I have written a lot about today’s feast day in the Roman Catholic Church, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. For more information, click here. This is just one of the poems inspired by that today.

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Save us through Your cross, O Lord,
Toss aside our sins,
With the Spirit in our hearts
Renewal begins.
All expected facts reversed,
A curse made glorious:
Died but then risen again,
Jesus, victorious!
Splinters from this painful tree
Lead to healing, making free.

Wanting Rest For You

This is inspired by FOWC: Drain and today’s Weekly Scribblings about rest.

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I see it: the way the pain drains you.
You say it with the slightly-labored breathing
And the careful, painstaking way you move.
You say it when a grin shifts into a grimace
And in your reluctance to make many movements.

I love you: saying this with a cup of cold water
And many prayers which you will never hear.
How I wish you could have a restful rest,
Without the flaming, aching joints and muscles
Which are giving a relentless test.

Carnival and a TV

The first poem is for FOWC: Finish and MLMM’s Sunday writing prompt: Carnival. The second poem is for FDDA day 16, about tv shows.

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Say “Carne Vale” — finish all the meat!
Before the start of Lent, those 40 days.
But may these days with vice be not replete:
Let him not be a hypocrite, who prays
“Have mercy” during Wednesday’s austere Mass,
If Tuesday was a sinful, sick morass!

This next one is meant to be funny and quick, so I didn’t want to give it its own post.

Which t.v. show should I watch today?
On Netflix there are more than I can say,
But what is good, and what is utter crap?
So tired of browsing, I might take a nap!

I Am Blessed

An unprompted poem shared with today’s Writers’ Pantry.

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I am blessed to be Your lamb,
Seeing Your kindness,
Kept safe through the raging storms,
Led to happiness.
Held with care inside Your arms,
In the darkest valley,
My head buried in Your heart,
Full of peace and mercy.
Let me never wander far:
To You leads the brightest star.

Peter’s Boat

I wasn’t going to post this, but it’s the closest thing I’ve written in the past 2 days that fits the DVerse Poetics prompt about boats, “Come sail….”

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What are you doing, Peter,
Walking on water?
What are you doing,
Believing in a miracle?

This is what people say,
Who in the boat would stay.

What are you doing, Peter,
Intimidated by surroundings,
When you could easily
Keep walking,
If you remembered
This endeavor’s beginning?

picture found in an image search (i.e. not mine)

What Is Inevitable

A cherita inspired by FOWC: Inevitable and shared with today’s Writers’ Pantry. Happy Sunday to all.

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Take the looming inevitability of death and taxes —

Give back to the community to live longer,
More happily and in memory; better to live forever

With the Holy Trinity in ineffable Heaven —
Caesar can keep his money. It tarnishes eventually.
Give to Caesar what is his, to God what is God’s.

Remembering Easter

Today’s MTB at DVerse is about haiku sequences. I know haiku are usually about nature, but my sequence is about St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast day was a few days ago, on July 22.

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The sun was rising
When Mary Magdalene came
To visit the tomb.

The sun was rising
To start a mournful morning:
Was the Lord stolen?

Mary Magdalene
Stayed and waited when she came,
‘Til Jesus found her.

To visit the tomb
Then able to tell good news –
The Belovèd lives!

Triquint: Courage Hurts

This is for FOWC: Tentative and this week’s Saturday Mix. It is a poetry form called a Triquint. Follow the link to find out more. It was actually difficult to do well. This is my third attempt at a Triquint, and I’m still not sure about it.

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Through difficult days, sad times forgive.
When one’s voice must be plaintive
Have courage to live:
Tentative
Press.

Unsure of life, no one feels festive.
What one knows falls through a sieve.
Have courage to live
Tentative
Guess.

Remember how much God wants to give,
Though now the soul is restive
Have courage to live,
Tentative —
Yes.

 

I need to preach this to myself, especially today.

Living Generously

I was thinking about the “Our Father” prayer and wrote this.

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Give us this day
Gratitude for simply living.
Give us this day
The grace to walk the narrow way
Aright; and to assuage pain’s sting,
A heart of generous giving
Give us, this day.

Décima: Uncertainty

It is already the tenth décima challenge from Ronovan, and this is my offering.

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The world today’s a messy place:
It seems impossible to clean,
So in the rubble we must glean
Glinting sunlight learn to embrace.

Now at a dizzying pace
Confusion makes more mess: often
We think it’s figured out, and then
Does anything make any sense?
We know there will be recompense
But we are impatient for when.