CHILDREN EVER YOUNG

CHILDREN EVER YOUNG

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO MINISTER TO THOSE CHILDREN
WHO WALK TO THE SOUND OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER
WHOSE VISIONS DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
WE ONLY DIMLY PERCEIVE
CHILDREN WHO ARE FOREVER YOUNG
CHILDREN WHO SEE THE WORLD WITH STARTLING CLARITY
WHO EVER TELL THE KING HE WEARS NO CLOTHES
CHILDREN WHO SHALL PROBABLY NEVER SIN
AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO
IS TO CRAM INTO THEIR LIVES
ALL THE JOY AND LAUGHTER WE CAN
TO GIVE THE CHILD A SENSE OF GOD'S PRESENCE AND AFFECTION
SO THAT ON THE DAY HE STANDS BEFORE HIS MAKER
HE MAY RECOGNIZE GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO HIM
A FRIEND




Frank a vollmer

CHEMO

CHEMO

THE INTRAVENOUS BOTTLE
HOLDING THE WITCH’S BREW
OF HEALING BROTH
DRIPS SLOWLY INTO THE VIAL
THEN THROUGH THE TUBING
TO A NEEDLE
STUCK IN MY CHEST

THE SUNLIGHT
CATCHES THE DROPS
AND MAKES THEM GLOW

A DESIGNER DRUG
TO KILL THE CANCER
AND LET THE GOOD CELLS ALONE

LIKE GRACE SLIDING INTO A SOUL
ERASING THE SIN
BUT LEAVING THE SINNER WHOLE

THE DOCTOR SAYS
A GOOD ATTITUDE
ACCOUNTS
FOR FIFTY PERCENT
OF THE MEDICINE’S EFFECTS

A REPENTANT HEART
OH GOD
YOU WILL NOT DESPISE

CURE ME GOD
OF THAT WHICH IS CURABLE
AND FOR THE REST
PUT A NEW
AND RIGHT SPIRIT
WITHIN ME


FRANK A VOLLMER

CHANGING MOODS

CHANGING MOODS

WHO TAUGHT THE LAKE ITS MANY MOODS
YESTERDAY THERE WERE WHITECAPS
FOAM FLYING
WATER BEATING AGAINST THE SHORE
TEARING IT DOWN
REARRANGING THE SHORELINE
TODAY IT IS CALM
ITS SURFACE A MANY-FACETED JEWEL OF SUN
IT IS CONTENT WITH THE SHORE
IT LEAVES IT ALONE
SOON AGAIN IT WILL BE LAZILY MOVING
SOON AGAIN THE LAKE WILL FREEZE
LIFE WILL HUNKER IN ITS LOWER DEPTHS
TO SURVIVE
HOW MANY MOODS HAS THE LAKE

THERE ARE PROBABLY MORALS HERE
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
BUT FOR TODAY I AM CONTENT
TO LET THE LAKE
BECOME PART OF ME
TO GO WHERE WORDS ARE NOT NEEDED
TO BECOME PART OF EVERYTHING
THAT IS
TO FIND QUIET IN MY CENTER
TO BECOME PART OF EVERYTHING
TO BE LOVED
FOR THAT IS ALL THAT GIVES MEANING
TO ALL THE MOTIONS OF MY BEING
DOWN WHERE I REALLY LIVE
WHERE I AM DROWNED IN A LAKE
OF THE MYSTERY THE WONDER AND THE AWE
THE PASSION AND THE POWER OF YOU


Frank a vollmer

CATASTROPHES

CATASTROPHES



I NEVER THOUGHT THE CAT
WOULD DO THAT
STICKING HIS NOSE
IN YOUR BUSINESS
WHAT A BRAT
O ANTNY IS A SPIRIT FREE
ANTNY IS THE CAT FOR ME
BUT WHEN YOU SAT DOWN TO PEE
IT WAS ALMOST A CATASTROPHE
CHECK FIRST THE CHAIR BEFORE YOU SIT
CHECK FOR GAS BEFORE A MATCH IS LIT
AND MAIDEN, MAIDEN HEAR MY PRAYER
CHECK THE THRONE BEFORE YOU •••

WASH YOU HAIR
DO THE DISHES
PAY THE RENT
DO YOUR NAILS
OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WILL FIT
O CATS BE NIMBLE, CATS BE QUICK
CATS JUMP OVER THE CANDLESTICK
CATS GO ANYWHERE THEY WILL
BUT AVOID THE JOHN AT LAKE WATCHIC


FRANK A VOLLMER

CALUMET - SUMMER'S END

CALUMET - SUMMER'S END

IT IS THE TIME FOR GOING AWAY
THOUGH SOME WILL STAY
THE KEEPERS OF THE NEST
ENSURING THAT THE SANCTUARY
WILL BE HERE WHEN NEEDED
THOUGH MOST WILL SCATTER
IT IS THE TIMES FOR LEAVES
AND LEAVING
IT IS THE TIME
FOR SENDING OUT THE MESSAGE
THAT GOD LIVES
AND THAT HIS STORY IS WORTH RETELLING
AS EACH ONE GOES
LIKE CANDLES FLOATING ON THE WATER
TAKING THE MESSAGE
TO ALL DARK PLACES
GOD IS
HE LOVES
HE CARES
THEY GO AS AUTUMN LEAVES
AND THEIR FLIGHT IS BEAUTIFUL
THEY GO
CARRYING OUR LOVE
AND SENDING IT BACK
SO THAT WHEN WINTER STILLNESS COMES
AND WITH IT COLD
OUR HEARTS WILL BE WARMED BY ITS MEMORY

FRANK A VOLLMER

BUSY-NESS

BUSY-NESS

I SUPPOSE IT WILL ALWAYS BE SO
FROM
I KNOW NOT MAN
TO THE BABY LEAPED WITHIN MY WOMB
MY SOUL REJOICES
ALL SHALL CALL ME BLESSED
FROM PINNACLE
TO
I CANNOT MARRY YOU
YOU HAVE BEEN UNFAITHFUL
TO THE DREAM
TO THE WEDDING
TO THE TRIP TO BETHLEHEM
TO NO ROOM AT THE INN
AND THE BABY
TO A MOMENT OF GLORY
AND THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT

NO TIME TO HAVE A BABY
BUT BABIES WILL COME
AS GOD WILL COME
WHEN WE ARE UNPREPARED
FOR HE IS A GOD WHO WILL FILL
ALL OUR LONELY
ALL OUR EMPTY MOMENTS
WHO WILL TAKE WHATEVER WE CAN GIVE
AT THE MOMENT
AND LET IT BE SOIL
FOR SEED TO GROW

THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH TIME
TO PREPARE FOR GOD
ALL HE ASKS
IS THAT
IN ALL OUR BUSYNESS
WE TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY
I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE
Frank A Vollmer

BUFFALO VERSUS STEERS

BUFFALO VERSUS STEERS



THEY SAY A BUFFALO
WILL FACE INTO A STORM
AND WALK OUT OF IT

A STEER ON THE OTHER HAND
SHOWS ITS RUMP TO THE STORM
AND WALKS WITH IT
SOMETIMES LEADING TO ITS OWN DESTRUCTION

I SUPPOSE THERE IS A LIFE LESSON THERE
I KNOW THERE IS A LIFE LESSON THERE

I SEE IT IN THE CANCER TREATMENT ROOMS
SOME COME IN TO FIGHT
OTHERS RUN

I’D LIKE TO THINK THAT I’M A FIGHTER
BATTLE SCARRED CERTAINLY
DEFEATED SOMETIMES
OVERWHELMED SOMETIMES
BUT LIKE A COMPASS
ALWAYS SEEKING NORTH
ALWAYS TURNING TO FACE THE STORM
THOUGH THERE ARE MOMENTS OF WILD GYRATING

AM I BETTER THAN THE STEERS
CERTAINLY NOT
HOLIER
CERTAINLY NOT
WISER
CERTAINLY NOT
BLESSED
CERTAINLY

DO I FEEL THAT I AM GOD’S CHILD
CERTAINLY
THEN WHY CANCER





I PRAY DAILY
YOUR WILL BE DONE

NOT WHEN IT PLEASES ME
OR MAKES ME FEEL GOOD
YOUR WILL BE DONE

I THINK IT’S THE ACCEPTANCE OF HIS WILL
OFTEN UNGRACEFULLY
THAT HELPS ME FACE THE STORM
AND PRAY MY FELLOW CANCER MATES
WILL DO THE SAME


FRANK A VOLLMER