Monday, December 31, 2012

the purse



THE PURSE

THE WORD CALENDAR
COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD CALENDS


WHICH MEANS THE FIRST OF THE MONTH


SO A CALENDAR
IS A DEVICE
THAT HELPS PEOPLE
FIND THE FIRST OF THE MONTH

THE WORD CALENDS
ALSO MEANS
THE COIN PURSE OF THE MONEY LENDER


WHO WOULD COME BY
ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH
WITH HIS PURSE OPEN
TO RECEIVE THE PAYMENTS DUE HIM

DURING THIS WINTER
WITH ITS MANY DISASTERS
SOME FELT THAT GOD WAS COMING  

TO COLLECT HIS DEBT

THAT HE WOULD COME

WITH HIS OPEN PURSE

LIKE A MONEY LENDER

DEMANDING PAYMENT

BECAUSE WE WERE IMPOVERISHED
WE COULDN'T PAY


WE WOULD BE PUNISHED

FOR OUR SINS

NOT A NEW IDEA


OUR FOUNDER
MARTIN LUTHER
LABORED MUCH OF HIS LIFE
UNDER THE IDEA
THAT TRY AS HE MIGHT
HE COULD NOT PLEASE GOD



 AS A RESULT
AN ANGRY
MEAN SPIRITED GOD
WOULD PUNISH HIM

BUT

HAVEN BEEN FORGIVEN OUR DEBT
HAVEN BEEN GIVEN SUCH A GIFT
WE FEEL UNWORTHY


WE CANNOT MEASURE UP TO THE MARK
WE CANNOT FILL THE MONEY LENDER'S
PURSE


UNWORTHY OF THE GIFT OF REBIRTH
WE FEEL THAT WE WILL BE CRUSHED
BY ITS WEIGHT
BY ITS OBLIGATIONS

BUT JESUS SAYS
MY FATHER SO LOVED THE WORLD


HE SENT ME


HE SENT ME
TO SAVE IT


 ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME
BELIEVES IN THE FATHER
AND WILL RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE

BUT THE GIFT IS TOO GREAT


TOO GREAT FOR US


TOO GREAT FOR US
WHO ARE TOO SMALL

HOW CAN WE EVER REPAY YOU


BELIEVE IN ME
IS ALL I ASK


BELIEVE
AND LET YOUR LIFE FLOW
FROM THAT BELIEF


BELIEVE IN ME

BUT WE SHALL STUMBLE
BELIEVE IN ME


BUT WE ARE WEAK
BELIEVE IN ME


BUT WE ARE UNWORTHY
BELIEVE IN ME


BUT WE ARE SINNERS
I HAVE FORGIVEN YOU

SO WHEN THE TEMPTER COMES


AS COME HE WILL
TO MAKE YOU DOUBT
YOUR BELIEFS


TO MAKE YOU FEEL
UNLOVED AND UNWANTED BY GOD


TELL THE TEMPTER
WITH HIS OPEN PURSE


TELL THE TEMPTER
MY DEBT HAS BEEN PAID


MY DEBT HAS BEEN PAID BY JESUS


WHO DID NOT PAY
THE GREAT PRICE HE PAID


SO THAT LATER HE COULD DESTROY ME
AS YOU ARE TRYING TO DESTROY ME

TELL THE TEMPTER


WHEN HE COMES
WITH HIS OPEN PURSE


TELL THE TEMPTER

MONEY LENDER
TELL HIM

CLOSE YOUR PURSE
AND MARK MY BILL
PAID



CLOSE YOUR PURSE
AND MARK MY BILL
PAID IN FULL

CLOSE YOUR PURSE
AND MARK MY BILL
PAID IN FULL BY JESUS



FRANK A VOLLMER

Saturday, December 22, 2012

THOUGHTS ON A CHRISTMAS SONG





THOUGHTS ON A CHRISTMAS SONG


THEY LOOKED FOR SOMEONE
WHO THIRSTED FOR ANIMAL BLOOD
THE SCENT OF BURNING FLESH
BUT ONLY A BABY CAME

FOR AN IMPRESSIVE FIGURE
WHO WOULD ROUT THE ROMANS
BUT ONLY A BABY CAME

A VOICE OF THUNDER
WHICH WOULD QUELL THEIR ENEMIES
BUT ONLY A BABY’S CRY

CLAD IN ROYAL GARMENTS
SPLENDID TO SEE
BUT ONLY A DIAPERED BABY

TO CHANGE THE WORLD
TO MAKE IN THEIR IMAGE
BUT ONLY A BABY NEEDING CHANGING

LIKE A CHILD
LOOKING THROUGH HIS LEGS
SEES THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
SO THE WORLD IS TOPSY-TURVY
BECAUSE A BABY CAME


FRANK A VOLLMER

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN

 
SUFFER/ALLOW
 
SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN
TO COME UNTO ME
SUFFER
AS IN ALLOW
 
WORDS I GREW UP WITH
 
NOT
LET THE CHILDREN SUFFER
 
WHEN OUR LITTLE WORLD IS SHATTERED
BY THE DEATH OF CHILDREN
WE ARE AGHAST
 
WOULD THAT WE WOULD TAKE THIS GREAT EMOTION
AND CHANNEL IT TO CONCERN
FOR ALL CHILDREN
 
WHO ARE HUNGRY
TRAUMATIZED BY BOMBING
OR KILLED
LIVING IN SLUMS
UNDER EDUCATED
SCORNED BY RACE

CREED
SOCIAL STATUS
DELIMBED BY MINES
OR KILLED
 
WOULD THE EMOTIONS
UNLEASHED BY THE DEATH
 OF OUR CHILDREN
WOULD SPREAD TO ALL CHILDREN
 
FOR THEY ARE ALL OUR CHILDREN
 
WE PRAY
OUR FATHER
OR SOME OTHER FORM
OF PARENTAL GODHEAD
 
WE ARE ALL
HIS CHILDREN
 
THE TEARS OF OTHERS
ARE OUR TEARS
 
FRANK A VOLLMER


Saturday, December 15, 2012

WHEN GROWNUPS DIE

WHEN GROWNUPS DIE

IT'S NOT SO BAD

ONE THINKS OF FLOWERS

READY TO BE PICKED


BUT CHILDREN

CHILDREN ARE ANOTHER THING


TO SEE THEIR GRAVE SITES

WET

AS IF THE SKY WAS CRYING


ALL STRUCK DOWN

SAME HOUR AND SAME PLACE


IN A SCHOOL

A PLACE OF REFUGE


LEAVING PARENTS

EMPTY

DREAMS BROKEN


CRYING WHY

WITH NO ANSWER


BUT ONLY LEFT TO GRIEVE


UNDER THE DISMAL WINTER RAIN

FALLING FROM DECEMBER SKY

ON THE LIFELESS TOMBSTONES


WET

WHILE RACHAEL’S SISTERS

WAIL WHY


HOW QUICKLY

WILL THE GRASS

CLAIM THE GRAVES


AUTUMN LEAVES WILL CLING TO THE STONES

UNTIL THE WIND BLOWS THEM AWAY


AS IF THEY WANTED TO KISS THE CHILDREN IN PASSING


HOW MANY POEMS UNBEGUN ARE BURIED HERE

HOW MUCH LAUGHTER, TEARS AND JOY

HOW MUCH SORROW IS ENTOMBED


THE CHILDREN NOT COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL

SPLASHING THROUGH EACH PUDDLE FOUND


THE PARENTS BUNDLED AGAINST THE RAIN

MAKE QUICK THE TRIP FROM WORK TO HOME

TO FIND AN EMPTY NEST

LAUGHTER GONE


THEY SHED TEARS

LIKE RAIN ON THE GRAVESITES

AS IF THE SKY WAS CRYING



FRANK A VOLLMER




 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN


CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN
WE’VE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID

PERHAPS WE’VE SAID IT OURSELVES

IF IT IS
THEN IT MUST BE SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE
WITH HORROR PORTRAYED AS FANTASY

WE DRESS THE CHILDREN IN COSTUME
AND THINK HOW CUTE

BUT THE REALITY
OF A PREGNANT TEENAGER
WITH THE COCKAMAMIE STORY OF AN ANGEL’S VISIT

HER FIANCEE
HURT
BUT TOO MUCH IN LOVE WITH HER
TO DENOUNCE HER

A BRIGHT MOMENT
WHEN A USELESS CHILDLESS WOMAN
BECOMES PREGNANT

AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY
RULED BY AN IRON MILITANT FIST

A JOBLESS IMMIGRANT
TRYING FOR WORK
WHO CAN’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

HOMELESS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN
LOOKED DOWN UPON BECAUSE OF IT

SOLDIERS ORDERED TO KILL CHILDREN


NO ROOM IN THE INN FOR POOR PEOPLE

SIGNING UP FOR A CENSUS
THAT WILL IMPOSE MORE TAXES

WHILE THE RICH AMASS FORTUNES

WIDOWS CHEATED OUT OF THEIR INHERITANCE

SHEPHERDS
LOOKED DOWN ON
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT OBSERVE SABBATH

SCHOLARS SEEK HIM
WHICH UPSETS KING AND PRIESTS

NOT A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SHOW
WITH CHILDREN IN BATHROBES

BUT A REALITY SHOW
WHERE MOST OF US LIVE

IT WOULD BE WELL IF THE CHARACTERS
WERE ADULTS
LIVING OUT THEIR ROLES
AS THEY WOULD IN REAL LIFE
PERHAPS A DESTITUTE MAN
LIVING IN A CARDBOARD BOX
WONDERING
WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN

WHY WOULD A SAVIOR COME
TO SUCH A HATEFUL WORLD
THAT CLEARLY DOESN’T WANT HIM

A WORLD THAT’S A DISAPPOINTMENT TO ITS CREATOR
WHY


BUT MY WAYS
ARE NOT YOUR WAYS

FOR IF AN OLD BARREN WOMAN
CAN HAVE A CHILD

THEN THE WORLD CAN HAVE A SAVIOR
WITH LABOR PAINS
BURSTING WITH SEED AND DREAMS
THE DREAMS THAT

THERE WILL NEVER BE HARM
OR WAR ON GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN
THAT LION AND LAMB SHALL DWELL PEACEFULLY


AS THE OLD WAYS
GIVE WAY TO THE NEW

CHILDREN IN BATHROBES
WILL LEAD THEM

FRANK A VOLLMER