The Graduate Scrawl

Lament

You feel the dissonance first
the disconnect of the soul from the body
Homeless and searching for a place to lay its head
Flung out in the throes of grief and remembering,
Of not being able to remember,
Because it did not know to remember

It’s a slow journey, this soul’s homeless wandering
Searching for a safe place,
Settling for a warm corner under the overpass
It’s a bloodied journey, this soul’s trodding
Running to escape the weapon that will pierce,
Putting feet down in the spilt pools
It’s a weeping journey, this soul’s displacement
Crying out for the other voices that might join
Wailing as it feels the depths of night’s dark aloneness
It’s a quieted journey, the soul’s dislocation
Standing at almost loss as it begins to remember
Stilled as it sees what in the end can never be forgotten

You feel the dissonance first,
The disconnect of the soul from the body
Homeless and searching for a place to lay its head
Yet finding home among the other souls wandering too
A dwelling place for the restless and weary
A new Body called Remember

Old Creation’s Last Stand

It was hands’ frail grasp for life that began the struggle
Head thrusting back, forward and up
Tongue lashing not with words but out of control
It was body’s hard fall onto the bed
Blow of death attacking cushioned
Heart faltering every passing moment
Infection creeping as slowly filling body
Mouth drying as air forced its passage in and out
Throat groaning as lungs filled with toxins to breath
Chest filling and yet depressed, collapsing back from life itself
Coughs rattling and bouncing off of sound proofed walls

And old creation laughed and groaned,
Evil foreboding, death threatening,
So that for a moment it might sting
So that its hand might wave its flag to those on-looking,
I Death am here

Yet it was the groaning that could not remain,
Could not find a home in its late night hall wanderings
Could not silence the prayers of saints,
Nor stop the kiss of lovers, nor steal that which was never its own,
Goodness and hope

It was the body sleeping softly,
Falling slowly into the way all is to go…liminality
Between dust gathered and dust scattered
Toward New Creation Eternal
It was darkness cowering as light descended,
Crawling ever so assuredly over the shuttered blinds
Spilling into the space in which no thing hidden or cloistered could remain
Toward Darkness Dispelled
It was New Creation arriving,
Breaking in with glory unsurpassed
Singing witnesses to hope declaring,
It is finished.

Hope

Hope breaks forth but slowly, hidden by the clouds’ slow tidal
Waves rippling across the sky
Darkening where we would soar
Up but not out of realities that bond but do not
Bind us to the ground’s claim upon our dusty
Hours spent looking and acting toward that pure radiance
Casting warmth upon our cold hearts and hands
Unaccustomed to the broken rain
Storm that soothes our wounded
Land resting under hope’s cast light
Breaking in above the clouds’ shadow
Pouring down on us all