Wednesday, July 22, 2015

BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE


BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE



 

 

THE EARTH CAME INTO VIEW

FOR THE ASTRONAUTS

AS A BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

AGAINST THE DARKNESS OF SPACE

AND THE HORIZON OF THE MOON

 

A BEAUTIFUL BLUE AGGIE

AS WE USED TO CALL MARBLES

WHEN I WAS A CHILD

 

NOT ANY MARBLE

BUT THE PRECIOUS SHOOTER

WHICH WHEN YOU LOST WAS GLOOMSVILLE

 

WAS GOD PLAYING MARBLES

WHEN HIS SHOOTER

FLUNG MATTER INTO SPACE

WHEN THE EARTH WAS CALLED OUT OF NOTHINGNESS

 

ARE THERE OTHER WORLDS

GOD’S GENEROSITY KNOWS NO LIMITS

 

DOES EACH OF THEM HAVE THE DESIGN FLAW OF FREE WILL

 

DID GOD IN HIS INSATIABLE NEED FOR LOVE

CREATE OTHER WORLDS

 

MAYBE SO

BUT OUR FIRST WORRY

SHOULD BE

TO MAKE THIS WORLD

THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

THE PARADISE IT WAS MEANT TO BE

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

Monday, July 20, 2015

BELLY OF THE BEAST


.

IN THE LAND OF CANAAN
WHICH THE ISRAELITES
SHARED WITH ISRAEL
NOT ALWAYS PEACEFULLY

THEIR LOCAL GOD WAS BAAL
TO WHOM AT TIMES THEY SACRIFICED CHILDREN
THROUGH A DOOR
AT THE BASE OF HIS STATUE
CALLED BELLY OF THE BEAST
BAAL WORSHIP
WAS A CONTINUAL SOURCE OF INFECTION TO THE ISRAELITES
THE PROPHETS RAILED AGAINST IT

THEY HAVE FILLED THIS PLACE
WITH THE BLOOD OF INNOCENTS
THEY HAVE BUILT THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL
TO BURN THEIR SONS IN THE FIRE
AS BURNT OFFERINGS TO BAAL

IN OUR MODERN DAY
WE SAY
 HOW COULD THEY

FORGETTING WE SACRIFICE CHILDREN
TO THE GOD OF WAR
PROFIT
HATRED
CONVENIENCE



WE NEED TO CLOSE THAT DOOR
SAY ENOUGH

AS JESUS SAID
IF ANYONE CAUSES ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES
—THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN ME—
TO STUMBLE,
 IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM
 TO HAVE A LARGE MILLSTONE
 HUNG AROUND THEIR NECK
 AND TO BE DROWNED
IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA

FRANK A VOLLMER



Friday, July 17, 2015

JUSTICE-LOVE


JUSTICE-LOVE


CORNEL WEST
A PRINCETON PROFESSOR
SAID
JUSTICE
IS WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE
 IN PUBLIC

IT BROUGHT TO MIND
A POLITICIAN
BRAGGING THAT ALL WELFARE RECIPIENTS
WILL HAVE TO TAKE DRUG TESTS

THIS BAND OF NEFARIOUS NE’ER DO WELLS
CONSISTS OF SINGLE MOTHERS
UNDERPAID WORKERS
VETERANS UNFIT FOR SOCIETY
WORKERS WHOSE JOB WAS LOST
IN THE NAME OF PROFIT
RETIREES WHOSE MONEY RAN OUT




THE OCCASIONAL DRUGGIE
STUDIES SHOW THAT 2.6 PERCENT
FAIL THE DRUG TEST

WE’VE BUILT A TRAP TO CATCH A RAT
BUT CAUGHT A MOUSE
WHILE POLITICIANS FAVOR RICH
OVER POOR

WHAT ARE WE SAYING TO HONORABLE PEOPLE
WHO DID EVERYTHING RIGHT
BUT HAVE TO ACCEPT CHARITY
AND DRUG TESTS


FRANK A VOLLMER

Saturday, July 11, 2015

WHO MADE YOU TALLER

WHO MADE YOU TALLER


MY PEOPLE
MY PEOPLE
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY
CREATION
WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION
TO DETERMINE
WHO SHALL LIVE OR DIE
SING OR CRY
EAT OR STARVE
LEAD A PEACEFUL LIFE
OR HEAR GUNFIRE
THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
CAME INTO CHURCH
HE MINGLED WITH THE FLOCK  
A FRIEND
THEN MADE THE GOD-LIKE DECISION
TO SLAY THE FLOCK
IS THIS WHY YOU ATE THE TREE’S FRUIT
TO LIVE THIS WAY
IS THIS WHY
I CAME TO DIE
I MADE YOU IN MY IMAGE
HOW DARE YOU
CONSIDER ONE OF MY CREATION INFERIOR

ANGELS SING MY UNTIMELY RIPPED CHILDREN HOME
WHERE NO ONE STANDS TALLER THAN ANOTHER
COME ENJOY THE WORLD
I DREAMED OF
WHEN I MADE YOU

FRANK A VOLLMER




Monday, July 6, 2015

CHRISTIAN VALUES

CHRISTIAN VALUES

ON JULY FOURTH
I WAS WATCHING A PATRIOTIC SHOW
PRESENTED BY A LOCAL CHURCH
ALL WENT WELL
UNTIL THE MINISTER
 STARTED PRAISING THE CHRISTIAN ETHICS
 OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS

BRAVE MEN CERTAINLY
BUT TO CALL THEM CHRISTIAN IDEALISTS
I HESITATE ON THAT

THEIR PRIVATE GOODNESS I WON’T DEBATE
BUT THEIR PUBLIC MORALITY I WILL
AGAIN I HONOR THEIR BRAVERY
I CALL INTO DEBATE THE FACT THAT
30 LINES BELOW THE FAMOUS QUOTE
 "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,"
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
 REFERS TO NATIVES AS
 "MERCILESS INDIAN SAVAGES."



STEAL THEIR LAND
WHEN THEY RESIST
CALL THEM SAVAGES
WHO  IS THE SAVAGE
THIEF OR VICTIM

MANY OF THE FOUNDING FATHER WERE SLAVE OWNERS
AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
WHERE SLAVERY WAS DISCUSSED
Delegate John Rutledge of South Carolina told delegates that "religion and humanity have nothing to do with the questions" of whether the Constitution should protect slavery--it was simply a question of property rights.
THEY ACHIEVED
A COMPROMISE
ON HOW SLAVES WERE TO BE COUNTED
AS DECLARING
THAT A SLAVE SHOULD BE COUNTED
AS THREE FIFTHS OF A MAN
IMAGINE
A CHILD OF GOD’S CREATION
VALUED AS THREE FIFTHS OF A MAN
WHERE WERE THE BIBLE SCHOLARS
I HONOR THE FOUNDING FATHERS
BUT TO CALL THEM SAINTS
WOULD BE TO NOT REMEMBER THEM
WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO
TO FULFILL THE PROMISE OF AMERICA
MAY WE SET OUR SIGHTS ON THE GOAL
AND LIVE ACCORDINGLY

FRANK A VOLLMER


Friday, July 3, 2015

SNOW


SNOW



 

SNOW IS COLD

THIS FROM OUR URCHIN SCHOLAR

WHO HAD HER HAND UP

BEFORE THE QUESTION WAS ASKED

THE QUESTION ASKED

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM BIBLE CLASS TODAY

ALLOWING FOR THE INEPTNESS OF THE TEACHER

ME

IT WAS AN INTERESTING

 FUNNY ANSWER

REMEMBERING DAYS IN CLASSROOMS

WITH YOUR HAND UP

HOPING YOU WOULDN’T BE ASKED

THE QUESTION THEN WAS

WHY DOESN’T THE SUN SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE

IT WAS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION IN CANADA

BECAUSE I WAS VISIBLY IN DISTRESS

SOMEONE WHISPERED

BECAUSE OF THE FOG

IN DESPERATION

THAT WAS WHAT I WENT WITH

NEED I REMIND YOU

THAT CANING WAS ALLOWED IN THOSE DAYS

MY SEAT OF LEARNING WAS WARM THAT DAY

 

BUT BACK TO MY LITTLE SCHOLAR

HOW WRONG WAS SHE

WE HEAR THE BIBLE STORIES WEEKLY

DO THEY AFFECT OUR LIVES

OR IS OUR TOTAL RECALL OF THEM

THAT SNOW IS COLD

 

FRANK A VOLLMER