CRESTED BEAUTY
The moon I saw in Galilee
Looms over Utah Lake –
Tonight it hallows Crested Butte
While no one is awake
Except for those who range for food
In nocturne’s privacy –
The creatures seeking amnesty
In lunar secrecy.
(7 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
LABOR
LABOR
He offered everything he had
For utmost benefit –
Secured our welfare from His loss
For feast propitiate.
The distance from God’s present home
He surveyed from the Stake –
He sacrificed the perfect life
That no one else could take.
(7 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
He offered everything he had
For utmost benefit –
Secured our welfare from His loss
For feast propitiate.
The distance from God’s present home
He surveyed from the Stake –
He sacrificed the perfect life
That no one else could take.
(7 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
THE LAST BREEZE (for Ulla-Britt)
THE LAST BREEZE (for Ulla-Britt)
Along the Kattegat she walks –
Yearning for Selånger –
The valley of her father’s home –
Shadows growing longer.
Necessity is residence –
But time is memory –
The pilgrim sun brings northern light
To Ängelholm’s south sea.
(7 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
Along the Kattegat she walks –
Yearning for Selånger –
The valley of her father’s home –
Shadows growing longer.
Necessity is residence –
But time is memory –
The pilgrim sun brings northern light
To Ängelholm’s south sea.
(7 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
THE GLASS IMAGERIE
THE GLASS IMAGERIE
The verses ring like crystal –
A delicate appeal –
Collection of inventions –
Reflections that reveal
Imagination’s insight –
Perception’s beveled edge –
A prism of coherence –
Cohesion like a bridge
From word to aspiration –
From dream to shadow play –
From shadow play to essence –
From essence to display.
(6 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
The verses ring like crystal –
A delicate appeal –
Collection of inventions –
Reflections that reveal
Imagination’s insight –
Perception’s beveled edge –
A prism of coherence –
Cohesion like a bridge
From word to aspiration –
From dream to shadow play –
From shadow play to essence –
From essence to display.
(6 September 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
TIMP HIKER
TIMP HIKER
He was not tall – he was not short –
He was not plain or fair –
But he was conscious of my “lamb”
In that thin atmosphere.
Young Geoffrey, sick with altitude,
Responded to his care –
The benefactor comforted
With unobtrusive flair.
(29 August 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
He was not tall – he was not short –
He was not plain or fair –
But he was conscious of my “lamb”
In that thin atmosphere.
Young Geoffrey, sick with altitude,
Responded to his care –
The benefactor comforted
With unobtrusive flair.
(29 August 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
MERCURY
MERCURY
You do not know how pure you are –
Appealing innocense
Betrays the graven mask you wield –
Displays intelligence
Much wiser than the cleverness
Of Ambiguity –
Much brighter than the platform of
Sustain-ability.
(27 August 2009, Provo, Utah)
You do not know how pure you are –
Appealing innocense
Betrays the graven mask you wield –
Displays intelligence
Much wiser than the cleverness
Of Ambiguity –
Much brighter than the platform of
Sustain-ability.
(27 August 2009, Provo, Utah)
REASSURANCE
REASSURANCE
Does the Father really see me?
Does He watch me with His eye?
Do the Angels write my story
In Scriptoriums on high?
Does the Savior truly know me?
Does He understand my heart?
Do the Prophets have a message
That can help me sing my part?
Does the Holy Spirit hear me?
Does He guide the words I say?
Do my ancestors draw near me
From the bright place where they stay?
Yes, the Father really sees you –
And the Savior understands,
And the Holy Spirit leads you –
And Their Servants are your friends.
(8 September 2009, Provo, Utah)
Does the Father really see me?
Does He watch me with His eye?
Do the Angels write my story
In Scriptoriums on high?
Does the Savior truly know me?
Does He understand my heart?
Do the Prophets have a message
That can help me sing my part?
Does the Holy Spirit hear me?
Does He guide the words I say?
Do my ancestors draw near me
From the bright place where they stay?
Yes, the Father really sees you –
And the Savior understands,
And the Holy Spirit leads you –
And Their Servants are your friends.
(8 September 2009, Provo, Utah)
CROWN
CROWN
The Sacrament – most sacred hour –
Remembrance of His love –
His sacrifice – His holy deeds –
His work below – above.
For laurel He was given thorn –
For throne, a brutal tree –
For champion’s march, a cruel parade –
For fame, indignity.
Yet He gave us the oil of joy
For mortal misery –
A garment of unblemished praise
For grief’s soliloquy.
His agony Gethsemanied –
His anguish Calvaried –
His victory, the Garden Tomb –
His triumph, pris’ners freed.
(16 August 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
The Sacrament – most sacred hour –
Remembrance of His love –
His sacrifice – His holy deeds –
His work below – above.
For laurel He was given thorn –
For throne, a brutal tree –
For champion’s march, a cruel parade –
For fame, indignity.
Yet He gave us the oil of joy
For mortal misery –
A garment of unblemished praise
For grief’s soliloquy.
His agony Gethsemanied –
His anguish Calvaried –
His victory, the Garden Tomb –
His triumph, pris’ners freed.
(16 August 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
YOM KIPPUR
YOM KIPPUR (for Margaret Barker)
If Son of God can live as Man,
Then men can be like God!
The High Priest enters Holiness
With Sanctity bestowed.
More real than Life art Thou, my Lord –
More fine than Art, or Gold –
More true than any other Word
Or any story told.
(9 September 2009, Provo, Utah)
If Son of God can live as Man,
Then men can be like God!
The High Priest enters Holiness
With Sanctity bestowed.
More real than Life art Thou, my Lord –
More fine than Art, or Gold –
More true than any other Word
Or any story told.
(9 September 2009, Provo, Utah)
DESOLATE
DESOLATE
A Tree of Death unspeakable
Beguiles a Single Maid
In spite of Garden’s Tree of Light
Or Tree of Good and Sad.
Depression was the Serpent’s noose –
Entwining jug’lar vein –
Suspension hangs a Lone Recluse
Upon a rope of pain.
(25 July 2009, Provo, Utah)
A Tree of Death unspeakable
Beguiles a Single Maid
In spite of Garden’s Tree of Light
Or Tree of Good and Sad.
Depression was the Serpent’s noose –
Entwining jug’lar vein –
Suspension hangs a Lone Recluse
Upon a rope of pain.
(25 July 2009, Provo, Utah)
ORDEAL
ORDEAL
“An ancient form of trial to determine guilt or innocence, practiced by the rude nations of Europe, and still practiced in the East Indies. In England, the ordeal was of two sorts, fire-ordeal and water-ordeal; the former being confined to persons of higher rank, the latter to the common people.” (Webster 1844 American Dictionary.)
How did martyrs win their fame?
Trial by water – trial by flame –
Faithful to the only Name –
Bearing persecution’s blame –
Wearing torture’s lonely shame –
Praising God their only aim –
Counting curse or blessing same –
Testifying that Christ came.
(25 July 2009, Provo, Utah)
“An ancient form of trial to determine guilt or innocence, practiced by the rude nations of Europe, and still practiced in the East Indies. In England, the ordeal was of two sorts, fire-ordeal and water-ordeal; the former being confined to persons of higher rank, the latter to the common people.” (Webster 1844 American Dictionary.)
How did martyrs win their fame?
Trial by water – trial by flame –
Faithful to the only Name –
Bearing persecution’s blame –
Wearing torture’s lonely shame –
Praising God their only aim –
Counting curse or blessing same –
Testifying that Christ came.
(25 July 2009, Provo, Utah)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
SNORE STORY
SNORE STORY
How fast you fall to sleep, my friend –
The weariness is deep –
The mountains that you climb are steep –
You slumber, not to weep.
Your character was fashioned best
By meeting wilderness –
With river-winding lupine crest –
In aspen-sheltered rest.
(3 July 2009, Crested Butte, Colorado)
DISCERNMENT
DISCERNMENT
It’s good to know such men exist –
That valiant ones are real –
Integrity makes character
From victories of steel.
Their keenness of intelligence –
The covenant they vow –
The confidence of rectitude
Sits solemn on their brow.
Their wisdom is unflinching power –
Their labors rescue souls –
Presiding with the gaze of seers –
Defining self-control.
That such exist is boon enough –
These kings in embryo –
Epitomes of diligence
With hearts as brisk as snow.
(18 June 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
LIBERTY JAIL (to Joseph Smith)
LIBERTY JAIL (to Joseph Smith)
Even the snares of enemies
Will help economize –
The bonds they cinch – the traps they set –
The Lord will customize
To help us meet our destiny –
Fulfill our mission here –
No matter where they dig the pit
An angel will appear.
(7 June 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
DECEIVING JUDAS
DECEIVING JUDAS
Betrayed the Lord for thirty marks?
“He earned the criticism –
His message trite – irrelevant –
Who will even miss Him?”
You could not stand His tenderness?
For that He had to die?
“He disregarded protocol –
Besides, it was not I.”
Conveyed them to the olive grove?
You sold His life for pelf?
“I did not crucify the Lord –
He did it to Himself.”
(25 April 2009, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
JA
JA (to Dag H.)
I dread temptation of dissent –
“Yes” to life and loving –
I dream salvation of assent –
“Yes” to light and learning.
I tread the challenge of ascent –
“Yes” to God and goodness –
I dance inertia of descent –
“Yes” to Christ and kindness.
More than meadows – more than mountains –
I say “yes” to Thy way –
More than milage – more than mansions –
I say “yes” to Thy will.
More than miracles and music –
I say “yes” to Beauty –
More than honors – more than praises –
I say “yes” to Duty.
(25 April 2009 < 25 October 2004, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
SERMO HUMILIS
SERMO HUMILIS
“The poetry lacks Mystery”
A gentle Reader said.
I do have secrets in my soul
And puzzles in my head –
But Some Thing calls me to be plain –
To let my light so shine
That others seeing this may read
The substance of a line.
(15 March 2009, Christmas Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel)
RAIN CHECK
RAIN CHECK
Walking through mirrors of water –
Skipping through windows of brightness –
Running up stairways of thunder –
Riding up towers of lightning.
(24 February 2009)
STOCKING STUFFER
STOCKING STUFFER
Already demons lick their lips –
The frenzied death machine
Anticipates the hollow days
Of planned sterility.
Weep – daughters of America –
Their coupon is a debt –
That makes Nativity avoid
A child you won’t forget.
The discount is a shocking hoax –
The choice they sell is fraud –
Your parenthood is not a curse –
Your baby comes from God.
(29 November 2008, Pleasant Grove, Utah)
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