Wednesday, September 22, 2010

LISTEN BUT DO NOT HEAR


You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist. (Tractate 1 John 8,8) Augustine of Hippo



WHEN PAUL CAME TO JERUSALEM

FOR WHAT WOULD BE KNOWN

AS THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM

OR

THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL



PAUL CAME TO PRESENT HIS CREDENTIALS

THE RIGHT TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES

WITHOUT INFLICTING JEWISH CUSTOMS ON THEM



PAUL PREACHED WELL

PAUL COULD PREACH THE SPOTS OFF A DALMATIAN



WHEN ALL THE INTELLECTUAL DUST HAD SETTLED

THE APOSTLES HAD ONLY ONE MANDATE TO GIVE HIM

REMEMBER THE POOR



REMEMBER THE POOR

RINGS LIKE A REFRAIN

DOWN THE CENTURIES



MOSTLY IGNORED

MOSTLY FEEDING THE HUNGRY

WITHOUT ASKING WHY



CHRIST KNOWING

THAT WE ARE OFTEN

UNAWARE OF THE WORLD AROUND US

SAID

YOU HAVE THE POOR ALWAYS WITH YOU



IT’S A REBUKE TO THE BLIND

AND THE DEAF AMONG US



IT’S A REBUKE TOO ALL OF US

WHO FEAST AT DIVES TABLE

AND NOT SEE LAZARUS



WHO WALK BY THE WOUNDED MAN

ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO

AFRAID TO BE CONTAMINATED



CHRIST WHISPERS

FEW HEAR

WHATSOEVER YOU DO….



FRANK A VOLLMER

Thursday, September 16, 2010

FOXES HAVE HOLES



THE BIRDS HAVE NESTS

THE FOXES HAVE DENS

BUT THE SON OF MAN

HAS NO PLACE

TO LAY HIS HEAD



STOP LAUGHING LORD

YOU’VE GIVEN ME

SOME MANY PLACES TO LAY MY HEAD

I’VE FORGOTTEN HOW MANY



EACH TIME SAYING

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE LAST TIME I’M MOVING

I’M LEAVING THIS PLACE IN A BOX



NEVER SAY NEVER TO GOD

NEVER SAY NEVER

TO THE HAND THAT LEADS YOU

NEVER SAY NEVER

YOU’LL NEVER WIN



BUT LET US PRAY

FOR THOSE

WHO UNWILLINGLY

FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE



FOR SOLDIERS

SPENDING THE NIGHT

ON THE BATTLEFIELD



FOR THE HOMELESS VETERAN

WHOSE SEEN TOO MUCH OF LIFE

IN TOO SHORT A TIME



FOR THE SLUM DWELLER

BESIDE RICH ESTATES



FOR THE WORKER

WHOSE WAGES

ARE DEBASED

SO THAT HE WORKS

FOR SUBSISTENCE







FOR THE LOWLY PRIEST OR MINISTER

STRUGGLING WITH THE IMAGE

OF A CHURCH THAT FAVORS THE RICH

OVER THE NEEDY

THAT FAVORS

PROTECTION OF THE INSTITUTION

OVER THE NEEDS OF THE FAITHFUL



FOR THE CHILD

WHOSE BREAKFAST IS AIR

LUNCH IS SOMEONE’S THROWAWAY FOOD



FOR FAMILIES LIVING IN CARS

WHILE FINANCIAL MANIPULATORS

RIDE IN CADILLACS



FOR ALL OF THESE

LET US PRAY



FOR THOSE WE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN

LET US PRAY



FOR MY NEW NEST AND DEN

THANK YOU



FRANK A VOLLMER

Thursday, September 9, 2010

CUP AND PLATE


WHEN WE BECAME SICK

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN

MY MOTHER

BEING A PART TIME WITCH

HAD A TREASURE TROVE

OF FOLK MEDICINE TO CURE US

SUCH AS

THE JUICE OF ONIONS AND SUGAR

CURED EVERYTHING

HONEY FOR ANY WOUND

MUSTARD PLASTER FOR COLDS

CASTOR OIL AND ROOT BEER MIX

FOR GENERAL MALAISE

BUT THE COUP GE GRACE

FOR ANY SICKNESS

WAS WHEN MUM BROUGHT YOU

TEA IN A YELLOW CUP

TOAST ON A BLUE PLATE







BEFORE WHICH

RASH DISAPPEARED

FEVER ABATED

IF IT FAILED

THE DOCTOR WAS SUMMONED

FUNERAL PLANS WERE MADE



AS AN ADULT

WHEN MY WORLD

GETS TWISTED

UPSIDE DOWN

I MISS THE CUP AND PLATE

THE HEALING IT BROUGHT





FRANK A VOLLMER

Monday, September 6, 2010

HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER?


CHRIST WAS NOT A MODERN CARPENTER
SKILLED IN THE USE OF AUTOMATED TOOLS

BUT A JEWISH JACK OF ALL TRADES

WHO SPECIALIZED IN WOOD



CHRIST WAS NOT A CONTEMPORARY

ENGLISH SPEAKING WORKMAN

BUT A FIRST CENTURY SEMITE

WHO THOUGHT SEMITIC

WHO EXPRESS HIMSELF SEMITIC



SO WHEN MOST ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

OF LUKE 14:26

HAVE CHRIST SAY

UNLESS YOU HATE YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER

YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME

WHAT IMAGES OF STERNNESS FOLLOW



BUT A BETTER TRANSLATION

EXPRESSED IN JEWISH THOUGHT

IS THAT HATE EQUALS

LOVE LESS



GOD CREATED THE WORLD

ALL THAT’S IN IT

SAID

THAT’S GOOD



WHAT IMAGE OF GOD

PROMPTS US TO TRANSLATE THAT WORD

AS HATE



THE JEW PRAISES GOD FOR EXISTING

FOR FILLING ALL THE LONELY PLACES

IN HIS LIFE



HOW COULD HE HATE WHAT GOD HAS MADE

WHEN HE HIMSELF SAID

HONOR YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER





IN A SIMILAR SITUATION

ABOUT FOODS

GOD SAYS

DO NOT CALL ANYTHING IMPURE

THAT GOD HAS MADE CLEAN



WE ARE ALL GOD’S CREATION

BORN CLEAN

WE STRIVE TO LEARN TO LOVE

FIRST OURSELVES

THEN THOSE CLOSEST TO US

OUR MOTHER AND FATHER

OUR SIBLINGS

THE REST OF THE FAMILY

THE PERSONS WE MEET

WHO HAVE CHRIST WITHIN



NOWHERE IS HATE PERMITTED

EVEN TO OUR MOST VIOLENT ENEMY

A HARD SAYING

BUT NO HARDER

THAN WHAT WE WERE WILLING TO BELIEVE



HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER





FRANK A VOLLMER