Tuesday, January 26, 2010

THE STORM



THE STORM






THE WIND MUST BE LONELY TONIGHT

IT’S TRYING TO COME IN THROUGH EVERY OPENING



AND SAD

I HEAR IT MOANING



AND ANGRY

WHIPPING THE TREES IN ITS FRENZY



WHEN EXPLAINED

THE WHY OF THE STORM



ABOUT HIGHS AND LOWS

MILLIBARS

PRESSURE GRADIENTS



DOESN’T DIMINISH THE POWER OF THE STORM

BUT INCREASES THE AWE



HOW COULD SOMEONE

SOMETHING

DESIGN

AND BUILD

SUCH A THING

THIS SELF PERPETUATING MACHINE



IT’S AS IF A TEXTBOOK

WERE A PRAYER BOOK



EARLY MAN

AND STILL TODAY

TRIES TO APPEASE GOD BY BARGAINING



LIKE JOINING A MONASTERY

IF HE’LL LET YOU SURVIVE





OR SLAUGHTER MANY ANIMALS

OR WORSE

PEOPLE

TO A VORACIOUS

HUNGRY GOD



THERE IS NO EXPLAINING

THE WRATH OF THE STORM



IT IS MINDLESS



IT RESPONDS TO RULES

MADE AT CREATION



WOULD THAT WE COULD

RESPOND TO RULES

MADE AT OUR CREATION



NOT MINDLESSLY



BUT FOLLOWING THE ANCIENT DICTUM

FIRST DO NO HARM



FRANK A VOLLMER

Monday, January 18, 2010

HAITI


HAITI






"WHY GIVE THANKS TO GOD?

BECAUSE WE ARE HERE," FATHER TOUSSAINT SAID.

"WHAT HAPPENED IS THE WILL OF GOD.

WE ARE IN THE HANDS OF GOD NOW."

(HEARD AT A MASS IN HAITI AFTER THE QUAKE)







DON’T GIVE PIOUS PABULUM

TO SURVIVORS

OF EARTHQUAKES

FLOODS

FIRES

PARENTS OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS

THE LOST AND LONELY



THAT GOD IS SOMEHOW BLESSING THEM

WITH THAT MISFORTUNE



WHAT IMAGE DO WE HAVE OF GOD

WHO TREATS HIS CHILDREN THUSLY



IF HE WAS A PHYSICAL PARENT

WE’D TAKE AWAY HIS CHILDREN

CHARGE HIM WITH CRUELTY



IN THE FACE OF UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY

WE SHOULD BE MUTE

AND HEAR GOD CRY



THEN WORK LIKE HELL

TO MAKE

HELL

HEAVEN





FRANK A VOLLMER


Sunday, January 17, 2010

CANA


CANA




LET ME TELL YOU A STORY



WHEN I WAS A CHILD

EVERY SUMMER

WOODEN SCREEN DOORS

WERE PLACED

ON ALL THE OUTSIDE DOORS



THERE WAS A LONG SPRING ATTACHED

WHICH WHEN YOU LET THE DOOR GO

SLAMMED THE DOOR LOUDLY



THIS WAS USUALLY FOLLOWED

BY YOUR MOTHER YELLING



DON'T SLAM THE DOOR.



GRADUALLY

DUE TO MY MOTHER'S INFLUENCE

I LEARNED

NOT TO SLAM THE DOOR



IT WAS NOT AN EASY TASK

FOR MY MOTHER OR I



SHE WOULD COME TO THE DOOR

AND IN FRONT OF ALL MY PLAYMATES

CALL FRANK ANTONY

GET OVER HERE



WHEN I GOT OVER THERE

SHE WOULD SAY

FRANK ANTONY

OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR

QUIETLY



I WOULD OPEN THE DOOR

AND CLOSE IT

QUIETLY







THEN SHE WOULD SAY

NOW FRANK MIBUY

YOU CAN GO AND PLAY



TO THIS DAY

IF I SLAM A DOOR

NO MATTER HOW OLD I AM

AND MY MOTHER IS NOT AROUND

I GO OPEN AND

CLOSE THE DOOR

QUIETLY



ARE YOU PROUD OF ME MOM

ARE YOU PROUD OF FRANK ANTONY



AT CANA

MARY IS AN IMPORTANT GUEST

AT THE WEDDING



LISTEN TO THE GOSPEL AGAIN.

THERE WAS A WEDDING

AND THE MOTHER OF JESUS WAS THERE.

JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES

WERE ALSO INVITED



FOR THIS WEDDING

MARY WAS A MORE IMPORTANT GUEST

THAN JESUS



NOW WEDDINGS

IN THE TIME OF JESUS AND MARY

WERE WEEK LONG EVENTS

AND FOR THE WINE

OR THE FOOD TO RUN OUT

WAS A DISGRACE

TO THE FAMILIES INVOLVED.



SO MARY

WHEN SHE SEES THE WINE RUN OUT

IS CONCERNED FOR THE BRIDAL COUPLE

SHE IS CONCERNED THAT THEIR MARRIAGE

NOT BEGIN WITH DISGRACE



SO SHE TURNS TO HER SON

AND SAYS

THEY HAVE NO WINE.



HE SAYS

IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM,

IT IS NOT MY TIME TO BEGIN



MARY LOOKS AT JESUS

WITH THE TIME IMMEMORIAL LOOK

OF MOTHERS

WHO LOOK AT CHILDREN

WHO SLAM DOORS

AND SAYS TO THE SERVANTS

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.



THE LEGEND

IS THAT THE WATER

LOOKED WITH LOVE AT ITS CREATOR

AND BLUSHED

BLUSHED AND BECAME WINE



BLUSHED AND BECAME WINE

FINER THAN THAT

WHICH WAS SERVED

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FEAST



DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

AND WHAT DOES HE TELL US

HE ASKS US TO BECOME WINE

TO BE DRINK TO THE WORLD

TO SAY TO THE WORLD

WHAT AN ANCIENT GREEK PRAYER

HAS HIM SAY



I AM YOUR GOD

WHO FOR YOUR SAKE

HAVE BECOME YOUR SON

OUT OF LOVE FOR YOU

AND FOR YOUR DESCENDANTS







I NOW

BY MY OWN AUTHORITY

SAY TO ALL

WHO ARE HELD IN THE BONDAGE OF SIN

TO THROW OFF YOUR CHAINS

I HAVE FREED YOU



TO ALL WHO ARE IN DARKNESS

BE ENLIGHTENED

FOR I AM THE LIGHT



TO ALL WHO ARE SLEEPING

AWAKE

IT IS TIME TO AWAKE



AND TO ALL IN DANGER OF HELL

COME BACK TO ME



I DID NOT MAKE YOU

TO BE A PRISONER OF HELL

BUT TO SIT AT MY TABLE

AND DRINK OF MY WINE



THIS IS THE MESSAGE

FOUND IN ISAIAH

AND IN PSALM 36

I GOD

WANT WHAT IS GOOD FOR MY PEOPLE.



YOU AND I ARE ASKED

TO BECOME WINE TO THE WORLD

BUT WE SAY WE CANNOT DO IT.

WE HAVE NO SKILLS.



BUT PAUL REMINDS US IN CORINTHIANS

THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SKILLS

BY THE SPIRIT







WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WISDOM

KNOWLEDGE,

FAITH,

HEALING,

MIRACLE WORKING,

PROPHECY,

AND THE GIFT OF TONGUES

THAT ALLOW US TO SPEAK

TO ALL PEOPLE IN A LANGUAGE

THEY CAN UNDERSTAND.



WE ARE ASKED TO BE WINE FOR THE WORLD

WE ARE ASKED TO DO WHAT JESUS TELLS US

AND WHAT HE HAS TOLD US IS WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS



MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

WE ARE ASKED TO INVITE THE WHOLE WORLD

TO THE WEDDING FEAST



TO BE AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER

AND WHEN WE SLAM DOORS

TO GO BACK AND DO IT RIGHT



ARE YOU PROUD OF ME JESUS

ARE YOU PROUD OF ME AND ALL YOUR CHURCH

ARE YOU PROUD OF US JESUS



AND THE ANSWER COMES THUNDERING FROM THE HEAVENS



YOU ARE MY BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS

IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED





MAY IT BE SO

AMEN

AMEN





FRANK A VOLLMER


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

SOLDIERS


SOLDIERS






IN MY MIND’S EYE

I SEE A LINE OF SOLDIERS

PASSING BY



THE LINE SO LONG

ONE COULD SEE NEITHER END



THEY STUMBLED BY

SOME WOUNDED

SOME LAME

SOME SCARRED

BY WOUNDS INVISIBLE



BY WHAT RIGHT

DOES ANYONE HAVE

TO SEND

PEOPLE OFF TO FIGHT

FOR CAUSES NOT THEIR OWN

FOR NATIONS UNGRATEFUL



THEIR LEADERS LIVE IN LUXURY

THE SOLDIERS LIVE IN TRENCHES



WHEN WILL THE CHILDREN

OF THE LEADERS

GO OFF TO WAR

INSTEAD OF COLLEGE



FROM CHILDHOOD

WAR

AND THE RUMORS OF WAR

HAVE BEEN CONSTANT



BUT GOD SAYS

THERE WILL NO KILLING

ON MY SACRED MOUNTAIN



READ EARTH

WHICH IS GOD’S SACRED MOUNTAIN



BUT PAUL SAYS

KNOWING SOME MEN ARE EVIL



IF IT IS POSSIBLE, SO FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL.



IN THE MIDST

OF WAR

BE PEACEFUL

GLORY NOT IN VICTORY

REMEMBER THE VANQUISHED

ARE GOD’S CHILDREN TOO



GOD’S WORLD

DEMANDS IT



HE TAUGHT US TO PRAY



YOUR KINGDOM COME

YOUR WILL BE DONE

ON EARTH

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN



IF WE THINK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE

ARE WE NOT SAYING

THE LORD’S PRAYER

IS PIOUS PRATTLE



I DO NOT BELIEVE

THAT THE GOD

WHO LEAPED TO EARTH

FROM HEAVEN

WOULD LIE TO ME