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

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

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



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

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