There are no words
That come to mind,
Seeing things pass by—
Another day is gone.
My sweet is far away.
I hear her voice,
But she won’t stay.
She has other things to do today.
Many moons will rise and fall
Before she comes back to me.
Many lonely days will pass
Until her face I see.
When she returns,
She will find me
Exceedingly happy,
Joyful, thankfully.
Stretching out
Into open space,
Reaching for…
I know not what.
No, I don’t want to watch
Television.
I’m not interested
In being entertained.
I just want to be stimulated,
Mentally.
A song to sway with,
Would be cool,
But not just
Anything.
My mood is low,
My mind is going
On a journey,
To and fro.
Where I end up
Is any guess.
Where I go
I can’t confess.
Do you really
Want to know?
I am sure
I’ll make up my mind
Eventually.
I’ll choose wisely
And sugar free.
I will coast
Across the water,
Silently.
I’ll find a personal
Rainbow,
Can’t you see?
Yes, that’s it.
The end.
Echoes of grief
Creep into dreams.
Clamoring bells
Blast a hole
Into my memories.
Strange sentiments
Hover behind me,
Whispering temptation
To ecstasy.
To bite off a piece
Of reality—
That is my sentence.
To grab ahold
Of something nasty—
So close,
And yet,
Too far away.
To break through
Into another dimension.
To rage into the night!
Oh, so sweet.
So I lose my grip
On the pain
That haunts me.
Another journey.
It all seems
Plain to me.
So I surf right through
The Milky Way,
Cackling an insane laughter.
To be the one and only
Tortured company.
Let it burst into
A broken rip current.
Let it feed
On blood and gore.
Let it be—
Alone.
Clown fray lax overwhelm stupid rank evil up
Enable clothes teem realm weeds tulip goes
Real exclaim bounce queasy stripe blame out
Seemed watch teed woozy seal dangerous fit
Yard hear beat where pole vamp woot oops
Pools of blood
Gathering beneath
The hanging body.
Breath goes out,
But doesn’t come back in.
Skin separated from the bones.
What is the truth?
They’ve washed their hands
Of any responsibility.
But can they wash away the blood?
Nightmares come
To remind the guilty.
Can you grit your teeth
And bare this torture?
Can you escape the horror?
This man was truly
From God.
Those who witnessed,
Cannot deny it.
Those who saw him later—
Walking, talking…
Breathing, eating—
Cannot shake the image
From their memory.
Restored but still wounded.
Put your finger
In my wrists and in my side.
He is alive!!!
Plot strike waffle wink angel tribe bush talking
Little tap root dainty walk sweet cackle weep
Anhinga mammoth tangle talented ale wars
Mere dude rewind work aliens inhibited near
Pointing future calliope sticks illness drinking
The central belief that all of Christianity hinges on, that of the resurrection from death of Jesus of Nazareth, is a slippery slope, at least. If one chooses to believe that miracle happened, it isn’t too far a stretch to believe in the feeding of the five thousand, or in the healing of the sight of the blind man, or the other miracles that Jesus was supposed to have performed in the Gospels. If you can believe in the resurrection, everything else is on the table.
And there is no shortage of miracles in the Old Testament either. The production of the stone tablets on the mountain after witnessing a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire, the plagues of Egypt before Pharaoh sets free the Israelites, the parting of the sea for the Israelites as they flee Egypt, the production of mammon in the desert to feed the Israelites, and so many more.
So if one believes in all the wonders of the Old Testament, is it such a stretch to believe in the resurrection? Not really. Or if one believes in the resurrection, why not believe in all the miracles of the Old Testament? It is a leap of faith on both counts, no matter how you look at it.
Can one be a Christian without believing in miracles? Well, if you don’t believe in the resurrection, it’s hard to claim that label. But if you do believe in the resurrection, you have no case against the miracles in the rest of the Bible. One can believe in Jesus’ moral teachings, and so be a follower of Jesus in a way, but some of the things Jesus is quoted saying, and the wonders he is recorded as performing, would have to be overlooked.
Sometimes there are reasons
For ways I think and feel,
And sometimes it just hits me
From out of nowhere.
I can’t plan a day ahead
Without being surprised
By something that happens
That changes my focus.
Being bipolar means that
Sometimes I am at the mercy
Of my mood. But that doesn’t mean
I’m helpless. I just have to
Constantly be aware
Of everything that affects me,
Inside and out.
It is a challenge,
But it’s possible.
I took the bucket, filled it up with water, then dumped it on Jerry’s head.
“Hey, C’mon!” he said.
“Let’s dance!” came a voice from inside the side door to the house.
“I don’t LIKE vegetables!” said another voice through the window.
“Your name is Mud!” Jerry said.
Then a wild hippopotamus ran through the yard. It was hot pink, with purple and white poke-a-dots all over.
“Is that a hippopotamus?” I asked Jerry.
“Don’t change the subject!” Jerry shouted.
“I like animals, but this is ridiculous,” I said.
“Why did you dump water on my head?” Jerry asked.
“Why do birds suddenly appear—every time— you draw near?” I sang to the tune of the Carpenters’ song.
“Why do I put up with you?” Jerry huffed.
“Help! You know, I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know, I need someone. Heeeelp!” I sang to the Beatles tune.
“What are you getting at?” cried Jerry.
“I’m looking at the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways,” I sang, to the Michael Jackson tune.
“This is pointless,” said Jerry. “I can’t think straight.”
“Might as well jump! Go ahead, jump!” I sang to the Van Halen song.
“You make no sense,” Jerry said.
“I have no sense,” I said.
“Here we are, both of us friends,” Jerry sang.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout,” I said.
Stilled.
The breath and the blood,
Slowing to a stop.
Where is the smile?
The laugh?
Or even the cry?
Seconds tick by…
No movement.
No voice calling.
What happened
To the thrill
Of living life
To its fullest?
What of risk,
Rides and rough-housing?
What of playing games,
Teasing and pranks?
What of kisses,
Hugs, and holding hands?
Life.
Gone!
Stumbling along the sidewalk 