STONES
BY
FRANK A VOLLMER
Zen Garden
FIVE ROCKS THERE ARE
THOUGH IT SEES LIKE MORE
GRAVEL AND SOME MOSS
THE ROCKS ARE SMALL
THE GRAVEL RAKED
THE MOSS GROWS WHERE IT WILL
AT FIRST
I TRIED TO FIND THE MEANING OF THE STONES
WERE THEY SHIPS OR MOUNTAINS
PERHAPS A TIGER AND ITS PREY
I TRIED TO MEASURE IN MY MIND
THE SPACING OF THE ROCK
TO MAKE THEM FIT A SCIENCE
SO MUCH HERE
SO MUCH THERE
BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK
IT WOULDN'T FIT
I STARTED TO GET UP
TO GO AWAY
TO LEAVE THE GARDEN
THAT WOULDN'T FIT MY SCIENCE
BUT HESITATED
DISTURBED BY FAILURE
SAT BACK DOWN
BE QUIET AND UNKNOWING
SEEMED TO SAY THE WIND
BE QUIET AND STILL
LIKE A POOL OF WATER
BE STILL AND DEEP
GIVE BACK TO THE SKY ITS BRIGHTNESS
IN THE DEPTHS OF YOUR BEING
BE STILL
THE WIND'S RIPPLES CANNOT DISTURB YOU
BE STILL
BE STILL
QUIET
YET KNOWING
Tombstone Reader
I WANDERED THROUGH THE HILLSIDE CEMETERY
TRYING TO READ
THE WEATHERED MARKINGS ON THE STONES
SOME STALWART ONES
STILL LEANED AGAINST THE HILL
WHILE OTHERS
TIRED
HAD FALLEN AND SETTLED
ON THE GROUND
IT WAS AN ANCIENT CEMETERY
WEATHER-WORN AND OVERGROWN
YET HERE I FOUND ONE PLOT
THOUGH OVERGROWN AS WERE THE REST
BORE ON ITS BOSOM A ROSE BUSH
THE STONE STILL STANDING
ETCHED UPON IT VERY DEEP
AS IF TO SHOW THE CARVER'S SORROW
WAS WRITTEN ANNIE
NOTHING MORE
HOW PRETTY THE BUSH
IN THIS SO DESOLATE SPOT
I WONDERED WHO HAD PLANTED IT
SOME LOVER OR A HUSBAND
HAD DUG AWAY THE DIRT
THEN STANDING
LOOKING AT IT
HAD RECALLED LAUGHTER
SOME SISTER OR A BROTHER
HAD LOOKING AT THE STONE
REMEMBERED THE BITTER THINGS
THAT CHILDREN SOMETIMES SAY
SOME CHILD
HAD LOVINGLY PATTED DOWN THE EARTH
GAVE IT
ITS FIRST WATERING
TEARS
SOME MOTHER
OR A FATHER
LOOKING AT IT BLOOMING
HAD CAUGHT THEMSELVES REPEATING
ANNIE ANNIE ANNIE
WHAT WAS ANNIE REALLY LIKE
I THOUGHT
IT HAD GROWN DARK
THE SUN WAS COLD
WHAT WAS ANNIE REALLY LIKE
I THOUGHT
I PLUCKED A ROSE
FROM OFF THE BUSH
THEN SLOWLY WALKED THE HILLSIDE DOWN
CRADLING IT IN MY HAND
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OUR TOWN
YOU MIGHT HAVE CALLED IT
THE LAS VEGAS OF THE EAST
OR A LIBERTY TOWN FOR THE FLEET
OR SAN FRANCISCO
DURING THE GOLD RUSH
IT LIVED UP TO ITS REPUTATION
OF ANYTHING GOES
THE TOWN OF CAESAREA PHILLIPI
MOST JEWS WOULD AVOID THE CITY
FOR ITS PAGAN TEMPLES
ITS PAGAN CONDUCT
PAN
WHO WAS WORSHIPPED THERE
WAS A FERTILITY GOD
WITH ALL ITS RITUALISTIC SEXUAL CONDUCT
ALSO IT WAS A SITE FOR EMPEROR WORSHIP
ALSO THERE WAS A SHRINE
FOR DANCING GOATS
FOR PAN COULD SET GOATS A DANCING
BY PLAYING ON HIS SYRINX
HIS PAN PIPES
IT WAS ALSO A BURIAL PLACE FOR THOSE SACRED GOATS
THERE WAS ALSO A GROTTO
WITH A DEEP POOL
INTO WHICH SACRIFICES WERE THROWN
THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE
WAS CALLED
THE GATES OF HADES
IT WAS HERE THAT CHRIST CALLED PETER ROCK
MUCH HAS BEEN MADE
THAT CHRIST MEANT PETER TO BE THE FIRST IN SUCCESSION
THERE ARE GOOD ARGUMENTS
FOR BOTH POSITIONS
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
I THINK CHRIST WAS ONLY THINKING
OF HIS FRIEND PETER
HOW HE MATCHED THE MOLD
OF SO MANY TESTAMENT HEROES
HE WAS A FLAWED INDIVIDUAL
HE STARTS HIS CHURCH
IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD
WHERE GOOD PEOPLE DON’T GO
HE SENT A SINNER
SO SINNERS COULD IDENTIFY
HE SENT A WORKER
WITH CALLOUSED HANDS
SO THAT THE POOR COULD IDENTIFY
PETER FELT INFERIOR TO THE TASK
BUT CHRIST SAID
WITH ME ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
CAESAREA PHILLIPI IS NO MORE
THE TEMPLES ARE IN RUINS
THE CAVE COLLAPSED
BUT CHRIST LOOKS DOWN THE AGES
SAYS
YOU ARE MY ROCKS
ON YOU I BUILD MY CHURCH
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THE SOWER (Matt
13:3-23; Mk 4:2-20; Lk 8:4-15 )
THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEEDS
TRA-LA
THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEEDS
HE FLUNG THEM HIGH
HE FLUNG THEM LOW
HE FLUNG THEM WIDE
HE FLUNG THEM NEAR
TRA-LA
SOME FELL ON HARD GROUND
LIKE A TAMPED DOWN PATH
COULD NOT ROOT AND DIED
WHOSE FAULT
TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT
IN WHICH NOTHING THRIVES
LIKE KEEPING A CHILD ALIVE IN THE WOMB
IGNORING IT THE REST OF ITS LIFE
WHILE BIRDS DEVOURED ITS SUBSTANCE
THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEED
PRODIGAL IN HIS SOWING
THOSE WHO FAILED TO THRIVE
BECAUSE OF PERSONAL FAULTS
DESERVE THEIR FATE
BUT THOSE WHO FAILED TO THRIVE
BECAUSE OTHERS FAILED TO PREPARE THE FIELD
OR MADE THE FIELD UNFRUITFUL
WITH ROCKS AND THORNS NOT REMOVED
WHO SINS FOR NOT THRIVING
THE SEED
OR THOSE WHO ILL PREPARED THE FIELD
BY EITHER NEGLIGENCE
OR DELIBERATE
LIKE A CHILD
BORN POOR
WHO DIES HUNGRY
DO WE BLAME THE CHILD
FOR FAILING TO THRIVE
LIKE A CHILD BORN
TO A RACE THAT IS HATED
WHO NEVER BLOOMS
FOR LACK OF LIGHT
WHO’S TO BLAME
FOR SEED FAILURE
IN EVEN GOOD LAND
WHEN A FEW CONTROL MOISTURE
LET FIELDS GO DRY
WE’RE TOLD
THERE WILL BE A RECKONING
WHY NOT NOW
THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEEDS
TRA-LA
THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEEDS
HE FLUNG THEM HIGH
HE FLUNG THEM LOW
HE FLUNG THEM WIDE
HE FLUNG THEM NEAR
TRA-LA
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Elijah
I LOOKED FOR THE LORD
WALKING THE HIGH RIDGE BUFFETED BY STORM
WATCHING THE AVALANCHE COME CRASHING DOWN
CRIED OUT
WHERE ARE YOU LORD
BUT HEARD ONLY THE WIND
I STOOD BEFORE A WATERFALL
WATCHED THE MAGNIFICENT PLUNGE OF WATER
DEAFENED BY ITS ROAR
CRIED OUT
WHERE ARE YOU LORD
THE WOODS CAUGHT FIRE THE FLAME RAGED FIERCE
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