P0PPIES

THE POPPIES THAT LITTERED THE BATTLEFIELD

WERE BROUGHT ON BY THE LITTER OF WAR

FOR POPPIES ONLY GROW ON BROKEN SOIL

WHETHER BY PLOW OR BOMBARDMENT

THE POPPY DOESN'T CARE

IT GROWS IN BROKEN SOIL

AND THE POPPIES STILL GROW IN BROKEN SOIL

BECAUSE OUR PROMISES

MADE TO THESE OUR DEAD

OUR HONORED DEAD

HAVE NOT BEEN KEPT

WE SAID THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER

BECAUSE OF THEIR DEATH

THEIR SACRIFICE

BUT UNLIKE CHRIST

THEIR DEATH DID NOT BRING RESURRECTION

SO TO THESE DEAD

THESE HONORED DEAD

WE RECOMMIT OURSELVES

THAT THE WORLD AND COUNTRY

THEY DIED FOR

WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE

THAT PEACE AND LOVE

WOULD HAVE NO NATIONAL BOUNDARIES

THAT FOOD AND HAPPINESS

WOULD NOT BE FOR THE FEW

BUT THE MANY

THAT THE DREAMS THEY DIED FOR

WOULD COME TRUE

THAT MEN WOULD TURN SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES

AND SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS

THAT THE LAMB AND THE LION WOULD LIE DOWN TOGETHER

THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEW RESURRECTION

THAT HEARTS WOULD BE BROKEN OPEN BY LOVE

AND GROWING IN THAT BROKEN-NESS

POPPIES WOULD LITTER THE LANDSCAPE

SLEEP WELL HONORED DEAD

WE WILL REMEMBER OUR PROMISES

FRANK A VOLLMER

ON THE DEATH OF A MOTHER OF MY FRIEND

I MOURN YOU

THOUGH I NEVER KNEW YOU

I NEVER SAT AT YOUR TABLE

LAUGHED AT YOUR JOKES

OR SHARED YOUR VIEWS

YET I MOURN YOU STILL

FOR YOUR DEATH IS A LOSS TO ONE I LOVE

AND I AM DIMINISHED BY IT

AND SO I MOURN YOU

BUT MORE

FOR YOU SHAPED AND BROUGHT INTO BEING

MY FRIEND

SOMEWHERE IN YOU THEN WAS A GIFT OF BEAUTY

AND THAT MUCH BEAUTY IS NOW GONE

AND I MOURN YOU

NOW YOU SLEEP OUT IN THE RAIN

ALL YOUR ELEMENTS GOING BACK TO GOD

NOW THE SENSE OF LOSS GIVES MY FRIEND PAIN

BUT IN THE SPRING

WHEN CROCUS BUDS PEEK THROUGH THE SNOW

COME BACK

COME BACK

WITH MEMORIES WARM

ALL HARSH THOUGHTS FORGOTTEN

COME BACK WITH MEMORIES OF LAUGHTER

AND MAKE MY HEART-FRIEND

SMILE

FRANK A VOLLMER

TRIAL

THERE IS A LEGEND

PERHAPS IT’S TRUE

THAT A GROUP OF JEWS

ON THE EVE OF THEIR GASSING

AT AUSCHWITZ

PUT GOD ON TRIAL

IT WAS A JEWISH TRIAL

WITH THREE JUDGES

EVERY WITNESS

HAD TO BE BACKED UP

WITH ONE OR MORE

THE CHARGE WAS

THAT GOD HAD ABANDONED HIS PEOPLE

BROKEN HIS COVENANT

ALLOWED GENOCIDE

ONE WITNESS ASKED

WHY IS THIS SHOAH

DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SHOAHS IN OUR HISTORY

WHY SHOULD WE BLAME GOD

FOR WHAT CHRISTIANS

HAVE DONE TO US

FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS

BUT THIS IS OUR SUFFERING

AND WE ARE SUFFERING NOW

WE FEEL GOD HAS ABANDONED US

IN THIS ANUS MUNDI

IN THIS PLACE WHERE THE DEVIL CELEBRATES

WHERE GOD SEEMS TO HAVE A DEAF EAR

TO HIS PEOPLES PLIGHT

ONE JUDGE SAID

HAVE YOU NO ANSWER

TO THESE ACCUSATIONS

BUT THERE WAS ONLY SILENCE

ANOTHER JUDGE SAID

DO YOU AGREE YOU MADE A FLAWED HUMANITY

THERE CAME A SOUND LIKE A MIGHTY WIND BLOWING

THE WIND CRIED GUILTY

THE THIRD JUDGE SAID

WHAT FURTHER NEED HAVE OF WITNESSES

HIS OWN VOICE HAS BETRAYED HIM

THEY JUDGED HIM GUILTY AS CHARGED

THEN AS ONE

SINCE IT WAS EVENING

THE RECITED THE SHEMA

HEAR O ISRAEL, THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE

FRANK A VOLLMER

THE SHELL

IS IT JUST HIS DEATH THAT WE REMEMBER

IN THE GIVING OF THIS CUP

THIS SHELL THIS BAPTISMAL DEVICE

THIS GOLDEN SCALLOP

THAT SCOOPS UP WATER FROM THE FONT

AND TRICKLES IT DOWN OUR HEAD

AND CALL US TO BE CHRISTIAN

DO WE JUST REMEMBER HIS DEATH

OR MORE FOR IS NOT THE CUP A SYMBOL POOR

OF SOME GREAT WAVE THAT OVERWHELMS US

SPILLING US FROM OUR FEET

PLUNGING US INTO A VIOLENT SEA

BEATING PUMMELING CHOKING BRUISING

UNTIL WE STRUGGLE TO OUR FEET

GASPING AIR AS SOMETHING PRECIOUS

WILLING TO LIVE

A BETTER SYMBOL PERHAPS OF THAT TIME

WHEN ALL THAT WAS MY FATHER CEASED

AND ALL HE WANTED TO BE BECAME

A GOING AWAY AND COMING BACK

A SAYING OF HELLO -GOODBYE

TO CALL MY FATHER A SAINT

WOULD BE TO NOT REMEMBER HIM

BUT TO CALL HIM A MAN

WHO LAUGHED AND LONGED YEARNED AND DREAMED

WHO CRIED OUT OFTEN IN THE DARKNESS OF HIS BEING

WHO WAS OFTEN ANGRY HURT OR IN SOME PAIN

WHO LOVED WITH BOTH A LARGE AND NARROW HEART

WHO WANTED LOVE APPLAUSE AND OTHER MAN'S ESTEEM

WHO SAW DREAMS CRUMBLE IN HIS ALL THUMBS HAND

WHO CRIED OH GOD TELLS ME WHO I AM

THIS PICTURE OF A MAN WHO AS I GROW

BECOMES SURPRISINGLY JUST LIKE ME

THIS CUP IN WHOSE HOLLOW I CAN HEAR THE OCEAN'S ROAR

THIS SYMBOL OF AN OCEAN POOR

THIS GOING DOWN TO DEATH

TO BE CALLED BACK BY WATER

RUNNING LIKE RAINDROPS ON THE FACE

LIKE MY TEARS FALLING AS MY FATHER WENT

FOR REBIRTH

AND THE BEGINNING OF DREAMS

FRANK A VOLLMER

DANDELION SEEDS

GATHER THE DANDELION SEEDS

THE VOICE SAID

GATHER THE SEEDS

THIS AFTER I HAD BLOWN THE PUFFBALL

INTO A STEM

IT REMINDS ME OF PENITENCE

AND FORGIVENESS

BY THIS I MEAN

IF I SIN

AND AM SORRY

I AM FORGIVEN

IF I STEAL A POOR MAN’S COAT

AND FEELS SORRY

I AM FORGIVEN

BUT THE POOR MAN

STILL HAS NO COAT

WHAT I SEEM TO HEAR

IS THAT THERE IS FORGIVENESS

WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS

WITHOUT A NEED TO REDRESS OUR ACTIONS

I DON’T HEAR THAT NEED

IN THE ALL ENCOMPASSING

FORGIVENESS OF CHRIST

AND I THINK THAT IS CHEAP GRACE

DOES THE ADULTERER GET OFF SCOT FREE

THE MURDERER

THE CROOKED POLITICIAN

THE VENAL BANKER

OR FOR THAT MATTER

ALL THE HOUSEHOLD SINS

WE COMMIT REGULARLY

GOD CAN FORGIVE SINS

BUT CAN

OR SHOULD HE

OBLITERATE THE HARM I’VE DONE

AND IF NOT

WHAT PENALTY

MUST I PAY

HERE OR HEREAFTER

THESE THOUGHTS BOTHER ME

FOR THE DAY IS FADING

AND NIGHT IS COMING SOON

I ASK FORGIVENESS

FROM ALL I’VE HURT

AND PRAY THAT GOD WILL SOOTHE THE WOUNDS

OF THOSE I’VE WOUNDED

AND PRAY THAT GOD

WILL GRANT ME

A PEACEFUL NIGHT

AND A QUIET END

FRANK A VOLLMER

PERICOPE

ONE OF MY PET PEEVE

IS THE USING

BY CLERGY

OF CHURCH SPEAK

THE USE OF WORDS

THAT THE LAYMAN RARELY KNOWS

MY LATEST PEEVE IS THE USE OF THE WORD

PERICOPE

WHICH MEANS

AN EXTRACT OR SELECTION FROM A BOOK

ESPECIALLY A READING FROM A SCRIPTURE

THAT FORMS PART OF A CHURCH SERVICE

LITERALLY

IT MEANS

A PIECE CUT OUT

THE SCRIPTURES

ARE GIVEN TO US AS GOD’S WORD

BUT A READING BY SOME

THAT GOD SAYS

HANDLE SNAKES

OR EARTHQUAKES ARE CAUSED

BY HOMOSEXUALITY

OR THE MANY CHURCHES

SAYING

THEY PREACH THE BIBLE

BUT THEY GO FROM SEVEN DAYS OF CREATION

TO THE COSMIC BIG BANG

FROM HATRED OF ANYTHING DIFFERENT

TO DOROTHY DAY

AND DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

IT ALL CAN’T BE TRUE

THE BIBLE IS FIRST OF ALL A BOOK

SUBJECT TO ALL THE SCRUTINY

OF ANCIENT TEXTS

IT IS GIVEN TO US AS THE WORD OF GOD

BUT DID GOD REALLY SAY

STEAL THE LAND OF ISRAEL

OR PRACTICE GENOCIDE ON ITS INHABITANTS

IF SO

IS HE NOT BEING A HYPOCRITE

WHEN HE CONDEMNS CAIN

AND FORBIDS KILLING

IN HIS COMMANDMENTS

COULD NOT THESE READINGS

HAVE BEEN WRITTEN

BY THE VICTORS

TO JUSTIFY THEIR ACTIONS

IS MURDER

CONSISTENT

WITH A GOD OF LOVE

THE BIBLE MESSAGE TO ME

IS THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS

THAT YOU CANNOT LOVE GOD

WITHOUT LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR

SO ANY INTERPRETATION

OF THE SCRIPTURES

THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN LOVE

IS WRONG

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD

CAN WE DO ANYTHING LESS

FRANK A VOLLMER

COME HOLY GOOSE

IT DIDN’T START OUT TO BE A NOISY DAY

IN FACT THEY WERE TRYING TO BE INVISIBLE

HIDDEN BEHIND LOCKED DOORS

HE’D GONE AWAY

AND THE WAY A CHILD IS CONSOLED

BY THE SOUND OF ITS PARENT VOICE

WAS DENIED THEM

WHEN SUDDENLY THE SHUTTERS BLEW OPEN

AND KEPT BANGING BACK AND FORTH

THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH A RUSHING WIND

THAT BLEW EVERYTHING LOOSE

AROUND THE ROOM

THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH WIND

THEY WERE FISHERMEN

WHAT THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH

WERE TONGUES OF FIRE

THAT SETTLES ON THEIR HEADS

BUT DID NOT BURN

DID NOT BURN

BUT INFLAMED THEM

SO THAT THE ROOM WAS TOO SMALL

THEY RUSHED OUT TO MEET A CROWD

GATHERED BY THE SOUND OF THE WIND

AND NO MATTER

WHAT LANGUAGE

THE QUESTION

WHAT HAPPENED

WAS ASKED

THE ANSWER THEY HEARD WAS THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

AMONG THE CROWD WAS HEARD

WERE NOT THESE

THE COWARDS

THAT RAN AWAY

BUT NOW THEY SPEAK WITH ENTHUSIASM

LIKE MEN

DRUNK BEFORE THE NOON DAY HOUR

PROCLAIMING THE MERCY OF GOD

IN CELTIC TIMES

THE HOLY SPIRIT

WAS OFTEN PORTRAYED

AS A WILD GOOSE

A FITTING SYMBOL

FOR A RAUCOUS BIRTHDAY

NOT THE DOVE

COOING PEACEFULLY ON THE NEST

CONTENT

BUT A BOLD BRASH IMAGE

AN IN YOUR FACE BIRD

NO ONE HARMS WHAT IS MINE BIRD

A GET OUT OF THE PEWS AND DANCE BIRD

A MAKE YOUR VOICE BE HEARD BIRD

LET THE WORLD KNOW YOU’RE HERE BIRD

WE NEED THE DOVE

TO REMIND US THAT GOD IS GENTLE

WE NEED THE GOOSE

TO REMIND US

THAT GOD WILL BE HEARD

WE NEED THE GOOSE TO REMIND US

THAT THERE IS NEVER A POLITE TIME TO BE HEARD

IF YOUR BROTHER CRIES

TAKE CARE OF HIM

WE NEED TO LIVE LIKE THE WILD GOOSE LIVES

TRUE TO HIS NATURE

AND NOISY

FRANK A VOLLMER