BIG TOE

BIG TOE



MY BIG TOE IS BROKE
IT’S NOT A JOKE
IT’S BROKE

I DON’T MEAN TO BE ARCH
OR CALLOUS OR CORNY
BUT IT HURTS
AND IT’S BROKE
AND I FEEL KIND OF MOURNY

I HOPE IT WILL HEEL
BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO FEEL
LIKE I’LL ALWAYS WALK THIS WAY

I DON’T WANT TO RANKLE
MY ANKLE
BY WALKING FUNNY

I CAN’T NAIL IT DOWN
WHEN I BANGED MY BIG TOE

I SAID TO THE DOCTOR I FEEL FUNNY
HE SAID JOIN THE CIRCUS
A TOE LIKE THAT YOU’D MAKE MILLIONS

EIGHT YEARS OF COLLEGE
AND THAT’S THE BEST HE CAN DO
FOR SUCH A DIAGNOSIS
I HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL

MY NOSE IS RUNNING
MY FEET ARE SMELLING
ON TOP OF ALL THAT
MY TOE HURTS
AND EVERYONE THINKS IT FUNNY


FRANK A VOLLMER

BELIEF

BELIEF


BACK WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALLER

ISRAEL WAS THOUGHT
TO BE A GREAT NATION
A FAVORITE OF GOD

IT WAS EASY TO SAY
THOSE WHO DIDN’T BELIEVE
WERE CONDEMNED

WHEN HE WAS WRESTLING WITH SCRIBES
WITH PHARISEES
WITH SADDUCEES

WHO WOULDN’T BELIEVE
FOR MANY REASONS

AMONG WHICH WAS LOSS OF POWER

BUT SOME IN CONSCIENCE
DID NOT BELIEVE
WERE THEY CONDEMNED
I THINK NOT

A LOVING GOD
RESPECTS A MAN’S CONSCIENCE
WHEN HE RESPONDS
TO THE WORD OF GOD
WRITTEN IN HIS HEART

NO MATTER WHAT NAME HE GIVES GOD

A RELIGION
THAT DEPENDS ON LITERACY
WHEN SO MUCH OF THE WORLD IS ILLITERATE
IS A CONTRADICTION





A RELIGION THAT FAILS
TO LIVE UP TO ITS OWN PRINCIPALS
IS A CONTRADICTION

A RELIGION THAT KILLS
TO PROMOTE ITS CAUSE
IS A CONTRADICTION

MEN HAVE SOUGHT LIGHT
AND ENLIGHTENMENT
IN MANY FORMS

THEY HAVE SOUGHT GOOD
AND THE BETTERMENT
OF THEIR SOCIETY

CAN A GOD THAT SAYS
I WILL OFFER MY SON
AS A RANSOM
BECAUSE I LOVE THE WORLD

CAN SUCH A GOD CONDEMN

WHEN THERE IS NO FAULT TO BE FOUND
EXCEPT IGNORANCE

FRANK A VOLLMER

BEATITUDES FOR THE OLD

BEATITUDES FOR THE OLD

BLESSED THEY WHO KNOW MY WALK'S UNSTEADY
AND MY HANDS SHAKE
BLESSED THEY WHO SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER
BLESSED THEY WHO KNOW THE WORLD IS MISTY
IN MY SIGHT AND IN MY MIND
BLESSED THEY WHO DO NOT GRUMBLE WHEN I SPILL THE SALT
BLESSED THEY WHO SMILE AT ME AND STOP TO TALK
AND LISTEN TO MY STORIES THREE TIMES TOLD
BLESSED ARE THE LISTENERS TO THE TALES OF MY YOUTH
WHO LOVE ME AND TREAT ME WITH RESPECT
BLESSED THEY WHO GIVE ME WARMTH AS COLD CREEPS IN
BLESSED THEY WHO MAKE GOD SEEM MORE FRIENDLY
AND WHEN ETERNITY WRAPS ITSELF ABOUT ME
I SHALL REMEMBER THEM TO GOD



from the french by arbelet

BARBARA AND PRISCILLA

BARBARA AND PRISCILLA


BARBARA MEANS FOREIGN OR EXOTIC
PRISCILLA MEANS OLD
AS IN A PRAYER FOR LONG LIFE
BOTH MEAN KIND AND CARING

WHATSOEVER YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN
THAT YOU DO UNTO ME

IF YOU LISTEN CLOSELY
YOU CAN HEAR THE SLAP
OF SANDALED FEET
THE SWISH OF TOGA
AND A VOICE SAYING
WELL DONE


FRANK A VOLLMER

AT THE END

AT THE END
WE PRAYED FOR DEATH
WE WATCHED HIM LABOR
MOST OF THE DAY
EVENING
AND EARLY MORNING
HE’D TALK OUTLOUD
WORDS
DISJOINTED SENTENCES
AS IF HE WAS SETTLING
HIS AFFAIRS
THEN THE ELDEST DAUGHTER SAID
IT’S OK TO GO
YOUR WIFE IS SAFE
AND THE FAMILY IS HERE
THEN HE RESTED
WAS AT PEACE
THEN HE DIED

MAY YOUR FAMILY DIE
IN THE NATURAL ORDER
A BIT IF JEWISH WISDOM

I FEEL LIKE A SHEPHERD
THAT LOST A SHEEP
TRULY LOST
AND FEEL EMPTY
BY THE LOSS

I KNOW THAT SOME OF MY EMOTIONS
ARE UNREAL
AND MANUFACTURD

BUT THEY WALK WITH ME
A SHADOW COMPANION

TO PRAY FOR DEATH
NO MATTER
HOW DESIREABLE
STILL LEAVES A PARENT
SEEKING
LIFE
DEATH
PEACE

FRANK A VOLLMER

ARIRANG

ARIRANG

ARIRANG
ARIRANG

A MOUNTAIN
IN THE MIST

ARIRANG
ARIRANG

MY LOVER FADING SLOWLY
IN THE MIST

THE MIST IS LIFTING
HE IS GONE

MAY HIS FEET HURT
BEFORE HE GOES A MILE

ARIRANG
ARIRANG

MAY EVERY BONE IN HIS FEET HURT
AS MY HEART HURTS

THE PAINS IN MY HEART
ARE AS NUMEROUS
AS THE STARS

WHAT DID WE ARGUE OVER
I DO NOT KNOW
SOME LOVER’S FANTASY
SOME WOUNDED PRIDE

ARIRANG
ARIRANG

I WANT HIM BACK
HIS FEET BOTHERED
BY SOME PEBBLE IN HIS SHOE
QUICKLY REMOVED

BUT WAIT
IN STARLIGHT
DO I SEE
MY LOVER COMING BACK
TO ME
NOT HOBBLING
BUT ON NIMBLE FEET

FRANK A VOLLMER

ANNIVERSARY

ANNIVERSARY

THE THOUGHT OF ANNIVERSARY
IS THE RECALLING
OF SOMETHING
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN

BUT I CAN SAY
THAT SINCE I FIRST LOVED YOU
FIRST FROM AFAR
THEN UP CLOSE
TILL FINALLY AS ONE

MY LOVE FOR YOU
HAS NEVER NEEDED REMINDING

ANNIVERSARIES ARE NUMBERS
AND HAVE ENDINGS

MY LOVE IS FOREVER
AND WILL NEVER END

THERE IS NO REMEMBERING SOMETHING
THAT HAS NEVER BEEN FORGOTTEN

FRANK A VOLLMER