WHO LIES THERE

WHO LIES THERE

 

I’M READING THE BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM DODDS

WHO WAS THE AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY IN THE EARLY THIRTIES

WHEN ASKED LATER

WHY THE UNITED STATES

DIDN’T COME ON STRONG TO GERMANY

ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF JEWS

HIS REPLY WAS

THE STATE DEPARTMENT FEARED THAT GERMANY

WOULD BRING UP THE STATUS OF BLACKS

IN THE STATES

ESPECIALLY THE PRACTICE OF LYNCHING

ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS AGO

AND BLACKS STILL FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES

HOW CAN A SUPPOSEDLY CHRISTIAN NATION

BEHAVE THIS WAY

HOW MANY OF US FAVORED WHITES

TREATED THAT WAY

WOULD REMAIN DOCILE

THEIR CHRISTIANITY SHAMES OURS

WE UNDER PAY

WE UNDER EDUCATE

TREAT THEM AS EXCREMENT

THEN BLAME THEM FOR THE RESULTS

IS THE SITUATION BAD

YES

BUT MORE HATE WONT SOLVE THE PROBLEM

WE ARE NO BETTER

THAN THOSE WHO PASSED THE JERICHO TRAVELER

 WE PASS THIS TRAVELER AT OUR OWN PERIL

FOR BY DOING

WE PASS CHRIST

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



UNCERTAIN

UNCERTAIN

I’M IN THE MIDST OF GOD

WONDERING WHERE I SHOULD FACE

 

LIKE A FISH

I AM SURROUNDED BY THE OCEAN OF GOD

I’M TEMPTED TO JUMP IN

BUT I HAVE A CAUTION

PAUL SAYS I LIVE

NOT I BUT CHRIST

 

WHY DID GOD MAKE ME

 THE UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL I AM

TO LOSE MY IDENTITY IN HIM

IS IT EGO THAT MAKES ME QUESTION

IS NOT GOD PLEASED WITH HIS CREATION

 

LOVING GOD SHOULD BE MORE THAN A SENSATION

WHICH WITHERS UNDER STRESS

BUT A DECISION TO SERVE

BUT A WILLINGNESS TO LEAP INTO DARKNESS

KNOWING BUT NOT KNOWING

 

ELECTRICITY

 WHEN IT HITS THE BODY

EXCEEDS THE BODY’S ABILITY

TO HANDLE ENERGY

SO GOD EXCEEDS OUR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND

THE ENERGY OF A DIVINE

BUT GOD’S ENERGY

WILL NOT KILL

BUT ENLIVEN

BEYOND THAT I’M IN DARKNESS

STILL UNWILLING TO LEAP

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

 



WIND

WIND

 

ON MY LAWN IS A WHIRLY-GIG

SPINNING

I SEE THE MOTION

BUT I DON’T SEE THE WIND THAT CAUSED IT

 

I’M WATCHING A METEOR SHOWER

I MARVEL AT GOD’S CREATION

FROM THE UNIVERSE TO ME

BUT I DON’T SEE GOD

MY VISION IS TOO NARROW

TO SEE ITS IMMENSITY

 

BUT THIS GREATNESS REMEMBERS ME

SO I EXIST

I SPIN IN THE WIND

OFTEN IMPERFECTLY

THE UNKNOWABLE IS PLEASED

WITH MY ECCENTRIC SPINNING

LIKE A PARENT WATCHING HIS TODDLER WALK

IT

WHO HAS NO BEGINNING OR END

RUFFLES MY HAIR

AS IF TO SAY HELLO

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

 



THOUGHTS FROM AN IMPERFECT MIND

• THOUGHTS FROM AN IMPERFECT MIND

 

• I THINK CHRISTIANITY HAS MANY BELIEVERS BUT FEW DOERS. THE BELIEVERS ARE SAFE BEHIND WALLS FROM WHICH THEY DO NOT SALLY.
• WE PRAISE GOD AND REMIND HIM CONTINUALLY THAT WE ARE SINNERS AS IF HE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN. HE’D LIKE US TO ADMIT OUR FAILURES BY DOING BETTER.
• MANY OF THE ANCESTORS OF MODERN DAY RELIGIONS REQUIRED SACRIFICES OF LIVING THINGS OR PLANT FOOD TO APPEASE THE GOD. FOR CHRISTIANITY JESUS WAS THE SACRIFICE.
• MAN IS DESTRUCTIVE. HE DESTROYS ANIMALS AND PLANTS TO SURVIVE. PRIMITIVE MAN THANKED THEM FOR THEIR SACRIFICE. A KIND OF GRACE.
• PRIMITIVE MAN HAD NO CREED OR DOGMA. THE WHOLE WORLD WAS SACRED. THE SPIRIT WHO PROVIDED FOOD, CALLED BY SCHOLARS ‘MASTER OF THE ANIMALS’ WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE ANIMALS FOR THE HUNT, THEN WAS THANKED IF THE HUNT WAS SUCCESSFUL. GOING ON THE HUNT WAS OFTEN A RELIGIOUS EXERCISE. IF THE HUNT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL THEY WONDERED HOW THEY HAD OFFENDED THE MASTER.
• WHEN RIVERS REACH THE OCEAN THEY BECOME ONE, WHEN SOULS REACH GOD THEY BECOME ONE WITH GOD AND THINK GOD-LIKE THOUGHTS. THEY CARE FOR HIS CREATION.
• IT IS WRONG TO WITHHOLD CHARITY FROM SOMEONE WHOSE BELIEF IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS. ALSO IT IS WRONG TO ASK THE OTHER TO CHANGE HIS BELIEF TO YOURS IN ORDER TO GET CHARITY.
• IT IS WRONG TO CALL THE UNEMPLOYED LAZY, WHEN THE EMPLOYER REDUCES JOBS TO MAKE A GREATER PROFIT. IT PUTS THE ONUS ON THE VICTIM.
• TO GO ON RETREAT TO RETURN A JUSTIFIED PHARISEE IS NO EARTHLY GOOD BUT TO RETURN AS A WIDOW WITH HER MITE – A PERSON WHO KNOWS THE WORLD IS IMPERFECT AND NEEDS FIXING – IS A GOOD THING.
• THE SIN OF DIVES FOR WHICH HE RESIDES IN HELL IS NOT THAT HE ABUSED LAZARUS BUT THAT HE DIDN’T SEE HIM UNDER THE TABLE LIVING ON HIS SCRAPS.
• THE TERM MYSTERY RELIGIONS IS A MISNOMER FOR MODERN MAN. IT DOESN’T MEAN A MUMBO-JUMBO EXPERIENCE OR SECRET KNOWLEDGE, THAT WAS THE PLOY OF THE GNOSTICS. RATHER IT WAS A PARTICIPATION IN A PSYCHODRAMA CENTERING ON THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A GOD. THE PARTICIPANTS FASTED AND THEN WALKED TO EXHAUSTION TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE EXPERIENCE. TO CHRISTIANS THE TRINITY IS A MYSTERY. IT CANNOT BE DESCRIBED WELL, BUT EXPERIENCED. THE EUCHARIST CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BUT THE FACT IS THE PARTICIPANT HOLDS GOD’S BODY IN HIS HAND. A SORT OF PIETA WITH A LIVE BODY.

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

THE CLOWN WHO CRIED

THE CLOWN WHO CRIED

 

HE WAS A CLOWN

WHO MADE FUN OF HITLER

FOR WHICH HE WAS INCARCERATED

AS A NON JEW HE HAD A JOB

ENTERTAINING THE CHILDREN

ON THEIR WAY TO THE GAS CHAMBER

 

SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS

HIS WAS THE ONLY KIND FACE THEY SAW

 

HE WAS USEFUL

HE LIVED

BUT THE SOUND OF LAUGHING CHILDREN

WAS AN EARWORM

THAT CHORUSED HIM

WHEREVER HE WENT

 

TILL HE FOUND PEACE

BY GOING INTO THE CHAMBER

ENTERTAINING THEM TILL THEY DIED

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

 

 

THE EARTH CAME INTO VIEW

FOR THE ASTRONAUTS

AS A BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

AGAINST THE DARKNESS OF SPACE

AND THE HORIZON OF THE MOON

 

A BEAUTIFUL BLUE AGGIE

AS WE USED TO CALL MARBLES

WHEN I WAS A CHILD

 

NOT ANY MARBLE

BUT THE PRECIOUS SHOOTER

WHICH WHEN YOU LOST WAS GLOOMSVILLE

 

WAS GOD PLAYING MARBLES

WHEN HIS SHOOTER

FLUNG MATTER INTO SPACE

WHEN THE EARTH WAS CALLED OUT OF NOTHINGNESS

 

ARE THERE OTHER WORLDS

GOD’S GENEROSITY KNOWS NO LIMITS

 

DOES EACH OF THEM HAVE THE DESIGN FLAW OF FREE WILL

 

DID GOD IN HIS INSATIABLE NEED FOR LOVE

CREATE OTHER WORLDS

 

MAYBE SO

BUT OUR FIRST WORRY

SHOULD BE

TO MAKE THIS WORLD

THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE MARBLE

THE PARADISE IT WAS MEANT TO BE

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

BELLY OF THE BEAST

.

IN THE LAND OF CANAAN

WHICH THE ISRAELITES

SHARED WITH ISRAEL

NOT ALWAYS PEACEFULLY

THEIR LOCAL GOD WAS BAAL

TO WHOM AT TIMES THEY SACRIFICED CHILDREN

THROUGH A DOOR

AT THE BASE OF HIS STATUE

CALLED BELLY OF THE BEAST

BAAL WORSHIP

WAS A CONTINUAL SOURCE OF INFECTION TO THE ISRAELITES

THE PROPHETS RAILED AGAINST IT

THEY HAVE FILLED THIS PLACE

WITH THE BLOOD OF INNOCENTS

THEY HAVE BUILT THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL

TO BURN THEIR SONS IN THE FIRE

AS BURNT OFFERINGS TO BAAL

IN OUR MODERN DAY

WE SAY

 HOW COULD THEY

FORGETTING WE SACRIFICE CHILDREN

TO THE GOD OF WAR

PROFIT

HATRED

CONVENIENCE

WE NEED TO CLOSE THAT DOOR

SAY ENOUGH

AS JESUS SAID

IF ANYONE CAUSES ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES

—THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN ME—

TO STUMBLE,

 IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM

 TO HAVE A LARGE MILLSTONE

 HUNG AROUND THEIR NECK

 AND TO BE DROWNED

IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA

FRANK A VOLLMER