CLOP

 

 

CLOP

 

 

 

THROUGH THE STREETS

OUTSIDE MY MIND

ECHOED THE SOUND

OF A DONKEY WALKING

 

AND THE CRY

NOW HOARSE

ROOMS

ANY ROOMS

MY WIFE IS WITH CHILD

ROOMS

ANY ROOMS

 

UNTIL A GOOD MIDWIFE

TOLD HER HUSBAND

WHAT HE THOUGHT

SO HE OPENED THE BARN

 

NOT MUCH

BUT THE ANIMALS KEEP IT WARM

THE STRAW IS SOFT

 

THE GOOD MIDWIFE SAW THE SIGNS

SHOOED THE MEN OUT

TO DO MEN USELESS THINGS

 

THEN MARY AND HER

DID THE AGELESS BALLET

OF BRINGING A CHILD INTO THE WORLD

OF BRINGING GOD INTO THE WORLD

 

FINDING A HORSE BLANKET

IT WAS ALL SHE HAD

SHE TOLD THE NUMB FATHER

KEEP THEM WARM

 

THEN PATTING

THE NEW MOTHER

ON THE CHEEK

SHE SAID

YOU DID GOOD GIRL

PROUD OF YOU

 

THEN WHILE MARY AND THE BABY SLEPT

JOSEPH KEPT GUARD

AS HE WOULD

THE REST OF HIS LIFE

 

JOSEPH

JOSEPH

HUSBAND

PSEUDO FATHER

 

FAITHFUL JOSEPH

CARING MIDWIFE

BRIMMING WITH PROMISE MARY

 

HOW LONG WILL I STAY

IN MY QUARTERS SAFE

UNINVOLVED

WHILE JOSEPH

CRIES HIMSELF HOARSE

 

HOW LONG WILL I HEAR THE DONKEY’S CLOP

AND NOT CARE

 



BIRTH

BIRTH

THERE WASN’T A GOOD CHOICE

FOR A NEAR TERM WOMAN

SHANK’S MARE

OR DONKEY

BUT BETHLEHEM MUST BE ATTAINED

BETHLEHEM

AKA

HOUSE OF BREAD

BEING LED BY A MAN

WHOSE CHILD THIS WASN’T

TESTING THE VERY ROOT OF HIS MANHOOD

HE LOVED HER

HE’D HEARD THE ANGEL

BUT STILL A SENSE OF UNCERTAIN

CHURNED IN HIS GUT

DELIVERING GOD IS NEVER AN EASY TASK

WHO SHALL CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS

TO MAKE THE ROAD PLANE

WHO SHALL FILL THE VALLEYS

TO MAKE THE ROAD PLANE

WHO SHALL PATROL THE HIGHWAY

TO PROTECT HER FROM BRIGANDS

WHO SHALL REMIND JOSEPH OF HER LOVE

TO SOOTHE HIS ACHING HEART

ONWARD SHE COMES

BRIMMING WITH PROMISE

ONWARD SHE COMES

THE CHILD LEAPING

IN ANTICIPATION

EAGER TO BE ONE OF US

WILL YOU GIVE THEM SHELTER

WILL YOU LET HER BIRTH IN YOUR HEART

WILL YOU LET THE BABY BE BORN IN YOUR HEART

THEN LIVE AS ONE IN WHOM GOD HAS BEEN BORN

FRANK A VOLLMER

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE THE COSMIC GASES

SOLIDIFIED INTO MATTER

FORMING PLANETS AND STARS

BEFORE THE SPIRIT BROODED OVER THE ABYSS

BEFORE THE ABYSS

BEFORE THE PRIMORDIAL CHAOS OF BEGINNING

BEFORE BEFORE

GOD THOUGHT

(WE GIVE HIM HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS

TO UNDERSTAND HIM)

GOD THOUGHT

IF I MAKE A WORLD

IT WILL BE FLAWED

I WANT LOVE

NOT SUBSERVIENCE

HE GAVE US LIFE

HE CALLED US BY NAME

WE ARE AS PRECIOUS TO HIM

AS A BABY IN A MANGER

SO OFTEN HAVE I PAID HIM BACK

WITH SHAMEFUL DEEDS

SO OFTEN HAVE SOLD MY BIRTHRIGHT

FOR A TRINKET

HE CREATED TIME

TO CALL US BACK

TIME AND AGAIN

TO THE BEGINNING POINT

WHERE WE DWELT IN GOD’S MIND

WHERE OUR FUTURE HOME IS

ENTRANCE TO IT

HAS BEEN PAID

BY A BABY

ON PRICKLY STRAW

FRANK A VOLLMER



WE WERE CELLMATES

WE WERE CELLMATES

TWO DESPERADOES

ARRESTED FOR WAR PROTEST

AND PEACE MARCH

MOTHERS HIDE YOUR DAUGHTERS

HE WAS AN INDIAN FROM INDIA

I WAS A STREET WISE CITY KID

BOTH OF US IN COLLEGE

WE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL

GIRLS

PHILOSOPHY

HISTORY

DID I MENTION GIRLS

FINALLY

THE CONVERSATION PETERING OUT

I SAID

WOULD YOU MIND A QUESTION ABOUT RELIGION

SHOOT HE SAID

AS A HINDHU

DO YOU REALLY BELIVE

ONE OF YOUR GODS HAS AN ELEPHANT HEAD

OR IN REINCARNATION

OR EYES IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR FORHEAD

OR MANY ARMS

ALL OF IT SEEMS EXOTIC

HE ANSWERED

AS LONG AS YOU ANSWER A QUESTION OF MINE

SURE I SAID

DO YOU BELIVE

THAT YOUR GOD MADE A VIGIN PREGNANT

THAT BABY LIVED TO MANHOOD

DIED HORRIBLY

CAME BACK TO LIFE

AND BECAUSE OF THAT

 ALL YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN

SURE

IT’S TRUE

ANY MORE TRUE THAN WHAT I BELIEVE

ANY MORE STRANGE

AT THAT POINT

POINT

COUNTERPOINT

WE FELL ASLEEP

MINE WAS TROUBLED

QUESTIONS

KEPT RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD

IS THE WORLD ANY BETTER

BECAUSE I AM A CHRISTIAN

BY WHAT RIGHT DOES CHRISTIANITY

CLAIM DOMINANCE

IS IT BECAUSE EVERY ACT

HAS BEEN SACRED

OR WORD

HOLY

HAS THERE NOT BEEN MANY DARK PAGES

DARK AGES

BUT CLOSER TO HOME

HAS MY EVERY ACT

WORD

BEEN WORTHY OF FAITH

JESUS IS MY FAVORITE HOLY MAN

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO CHANGE

BUT IS MY LIFE WORTHY OF HIM

IF THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

IS MY LIFE WORTHY OF HIM

I DON’T BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION

BUT IN AN INCARNATE GOD

WHO RESCUED ME FROM SIN

MAY MY LIFE BE WORTHY OF HIM

HIS SACRIFICE

FRANK A VOLLMER