DREAMS

DREAMS

 

 

BY

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

Eclipse and a Frozen Lake

TONIGHT THE DRAGON HAS SWALLOWED THE MOON

 THE ICE SOLID LAKE IS MOANING IN SORROW

OH LET MY FRIEND FREE

HE BRINGS SILVER TO THE WORLD

MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL AT NIGHT

SOMETIMES WE GAZE AT EACH OTHER

SOMETIMES HE IS BROKEN INTO LITTLE BOATS

THAT FLOAT OFF TO DARK CORNERS

SOMETIMES HE WEAVES DREAMS

LET THERE BE AN END TO DREAMS

THE DRAGON ROARED

BUT IF THERE IS AN END TO DREAMS

THEN ALSO YOU WILL CEASE

THERE WAS SILENCE FOR A WHILE

THERE WAS SILENCE FOR A WHILE LONGER

THE LAKE GROANED

THEN GRADUALLY

SLOWLY

THE DRAGON SET FREE THE MOON

 

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF DREAMS

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF DREAMS



MISTER FROGGIE WENT CALLING AT THE CASTLE
TO DEMAND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS HIS DUE
BUT INSTEAD FOUND ONLY REJECTION
DREAMS DO NOT OFTEN COME TRUE

LIKE A FATHER PREOCCUPIED WITH CARE
WHO WAS TOO BUSY TO PLAY
WHO LET ME COME TO A PRECIPICE
BEFORE HE WHISKED ME AWAY

OR THE FATHER WHO DIED UNKNOWN TO ME
WHOSE BODY WAS ONLY A FORM
WHO CAME AT THE END TO SAY I LOVE YOU
BEFORE HIS MEMORY SCATTERED IN A STORM

I MUST BRUSH MY HAIR FREE OF DEMONS
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
SCATTER THE DARKNESS WITH LIGHTNING
AND KNOW GOD AND I ARE ALRIGHT

PUSH ASIDE ALL THAT WOULD THWART ME
FROM FEELING TRAPPED IN THIS PLACE
SEARCH HIGHWAYS BYWAYS FOR PASSAGE
UNTIL I FEEL SUN ON MY FACE

FINALLY I WENT TO THE LAMA
TO FIND A MOUNTAINTOP HIGH
FOUND INSTEAD A YOUNG IMP OF A BOY
WHO SAID I’LL SEE YOU BYE AND BYE

 

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

.

MAKE ROOM

IN MEDIEVAL

JEWISH

MYSTICISM

THERE AROSE AN IDEA

THAT SINCE GOD WAS EVERYWHERE

HE HAD TO MAKE ROOM FOR HIS CREATION

SO A WORLD WAS CREATED

WHERE GOD WAS NOT

HE HAD TO BE INVITED IN

A LOGICAL THOUGHT

FOR A RACE

BRANDED CHRIST KILLERS

WHO COULD BE KILLED

WITH IMPUNITY

MUCH LIKE LYNCHINGS

IN THE STATES

THEY PRAYED FOR A MESSIAH TO COME

TO THEIR GODLESS EARTH

WITHOUT CONSIDERING

THE THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

IT’S AN INTERESTING CONCEPT

THAT CHRIST HAS TO BE ASKED

TO COME TO A WORLD

WHICH HE CREATED

THAT HE MUST BE INVITED IN

EVEN THOUGH HE LURKS BY

HE MUST BE INVITED IN

THE CREATURE MUST GIVE

THE CREATOR PERMISSION

OR NOT

GOD GAVE THE CREATURE

CREATION

TO RUN AS HE SAW FIT

TO MAKE HIS OWN MISTAKES

TO STRUGGLE

AND SUCCEED

TO MAKE HIS FATHER PROUD

TO FAIL

TO MAKE HIS FATHER SAD

TO SHUT

THE DOOR IN HIS FACE

MYSTICS

ARE LIKE POETS

THEY SEE THINGS THAT AREN’T THERE

IMAGES IN A CRACKED MIRROR

VISIONARIES OF WHAT COULD BE

SHOULD BE

FRAIL HUMANS

WHO THINK IN DREAMS

OF A LAND NOT REAL

BUT COULD BE

YOUR YOUNG MEN

WILL DREAM DREAMS

YOUR OLD MEN

WILL HAVE VISIONS

AND GOD WILL BE A WELCOME GUEST

AT OUR TABLE

 

 

ADVENT (Matthew 24:36-44)

IN THE TIME OF THE SHORTENING OF THE SUN

WHEN LIFE SEEMS TO FLEE FROM THE EARTH

WHEN THE IMPERMANENCE OF OUR LIVES

IS BROUGHT HOME TO US

WHEN WINTER WINDS TAKE OUR BODY HEAT

WHEN WINTER CALLS US TO SLEEP,

DREAMS UNFULFILLED

IN THIS TIME OF COMING DARKNESS

WE STRIKE A MATCH AND SING

O COME EMMANUEL,

COME DAY STAR, COME

COME GIVE US PROMISE

OF RETURNING SUN

OF RIVERS UNFROZEN

OF SPRING ONCE MORE

OF DREAMS TO BE

O COME,

AND IN THIS WINTER THAT WE FACE

LIVE WITH US AS COMPANY

 

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

HE REMEMBERS

 

 

I EXIST BECAUSE GOD REMEMBERS ME

IF HE DIDN’T

I WOULDN’T EVEN BE A PILE OF DUST

 

GOD LOVES

AND LIVES IN HIS CREATION

 

THE WORLD CANNOT HOLD HIM

YET HE DWELLS IN A GRAIN OF SAND

 

ALL THAT IS CREATED BY HIM

IS SACRED

AND SHOULD BE HONORED

 

THE EARTH SHOULD BE HONORED

BY TENDER CARE

ITS YIELD SHOULD BE SHARED BY ALL

 

ALL LIVING THINGS SHOULD BE HONORED

AGAIN

THEIR YIELD SHOULD BE SHARED BY ALL

 

AND MAN SHOULD BE HONORED

THE TOP OF CREATION

THERE SHOULD BE NO KILLING

ON GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN

 

NO MAN SHOULD BE

HUNGRY

NAKED

OR POOR

NO MAN SHOULD BEG FOR WATER

BECAUSE WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN

 

WE ARE A SWIM WITH GOD

IN HIM WE LIVE

MOVE

HAVE OUR BEING

 

EACH OF US COULD WEAR A SIGN

SAYING

I AM GOD’S FAVORITE

 

HE REMEMBERS

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WRITINGS ON A WALL

 

 

 

IN A KINGDOM FAR AWAY           

WHERE MEN GO TO PONDER AND PRAY

THERE’S A SIGN ON THE WALL

THAT SAYS

PAIN IN A HUMAN IS AN INSULT TO GOD

PAIN IN A HUMAN THWARTS GOD’S PLAN

 

IT’S A WALL BEFORE WHICH

SEEKERS SIT PONDERING

 

WHAT ARE ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ME

DOES IT HAVE IMPLICATIONS BEYOND ME

CAN I IGNORE IT OR SHOULD I

 

WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SELF INFLICTED PAIN

LIKE WORK

EXERCISE

PLAY

GIVING BIRTH

 

BUT PAIN INFLICTED BY OTHERS

WITH NO CONCERN

FOR THEIR VICTIMS

OR WORSE

ENJOYING IT

 

GOD WANTED WHAT WAS BEST FOR HIS CREATION

INFLICTED PAIN

GOES COUNTER TO HIS DREAM

FOR HIS CREATION

 

SO A COMMON CONSENT

OF THOSE STUDYING THE WALL WAS

HOW DOES MY CONDUCT AFFECT OTHERS

 

IF MY CONDUCT AFFECTS GOD’S PLAN

WHAT DROSS WILL I GAIN

TO HURT GOD’S PLAN