RAIN GODS

RAIN GODS


I CAME UPON AN INDIAN
SCRATCHING LINES IN THE SAND
HE FINISHED
AND STARED AT IT FOR A WHILE
THEN WITH HIS BOOT ERASED IT

RUNNING CLOUD I SAID
WHY DID YOU RUIN IT

IT WAS FOR THE RAIN GODS
THAT THEY MIGHT BRING WATER
TO THIS LAND
AND MAKE THE DESERT BLOOM

BUT WHY DID YOU RUIN IT
ESPECIALLY
WHEN WE’RE SO DRY

BECAUSE NO ONE BELIEVES
IN THE OLD GODS
THEY WILL NOT COME UNWELCOME

BUT CHRIST CAME
UNWANTED
UNLOVED
IN FAIR WEATHER
OR FOUL
ACCEPTED
OR REJECTED

LIKE A JILTED LOVER
WHO WON’T GO AWAY
HE LINGERS ON THE PERIPHERY
HE WON’T GO AWAY

EVEN THOUGH
WE ONLY THINK OF HIM IN DRY WEATHER


HE’S HAPPY
WITH THAT ATTENTION
HE HOPES THAT WE WILL
SCRATCH A PICTURE ON OUR HEARTS

COME LORD JESUS
COME AGAIN
COME LORD JESUS
BRING THE RAIN

FRANK A VOLLMER

THE INNOCENT

THE INNOCENT

WHETHER THE STORY
OF THE SLAUGHTER
OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS
IN BETHLEHEM
IS TRUE
OR MISGUIDED
HAGIOGRAPHY
IS UNSURE

IT’S CERTAIN
THAT HEROD COULD ORDER IT

BUT WE ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE
GOD’S STORY
GREATER
THAN IT IS
IT STARTS OFF BEING GREATER
WE HAVE NO NEED TO AUGMENT IT

BUT THE PAIN
THE STORY
REPRESENTS
IS TRUE

WHETHER
IT’S INFANTICIDE
DEATH BY SICKNESS
OR ACCIDENT
OR KILLED BY WAR
RACHAEL CRIES FOR HER YOUNG
AND WILL NOT BE COMFORTED

SO MANY PEOPLE
WE HAVE KILLED IN GOD’S NAME
SO MANY BY HUNGER
POVERTY
CLIMATE

SO MANY BY THE THOUGHT
THAT IF THEY WERE BETTER
GOOD TIMES WOULD HAPPEN

THAT GOD SMILES ON THE RICH
BUT NOT THE POOR
AND THAT BEING POOR
REFLECTS
THE MORALITY
OF THE POOR

I DO NOT THINK
THAT GOD CAME
WITH SHEPHERDS
WISE MEN
ANGELS
IN THE SKY
THAT THERE WAS NO STABLE
OR FILLED UP INN

BUT WITH RELATIVES
AND THERE
LIKE A RECURRING REFRAIN

A CHILD IS BORN
WRAPPED IN BIRTHING CLOTHES
NURSING AT HIS MOTHER’S BREAST

GOD IS BORN
TO BE ONE WITH US
WE DO NOT NEED TO GLORIFY IT MORE

BUT TO REMEMBER RACHAEL’S LAMENT
AND GOD WEEPING WITH HER

FRANK A VOLLMER

ERIC

ERIC

MY CHILDREN ARE SCATTERED
FROM ASSHOLE TO TEACUP
AS ME SAINTED MOTHER USED TO SAY
BUT I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE
I’M PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE BECOME
THEY EXIST IN MY HEART
LIKE LIGHTED CANDLES
ONE OF THE CANDLES HAS GONE OUT
 THERE IS LESS GLOW
IN MY HEART
THESE CANDLES ARE SUPPOSED
TO LAST
UNTIL YOUR DEATH
 WHEN THEY DON’T
THERE IS LONELINESS
AT THE END
BUT PERHAPS I SHOULD CELEBRATE
THE CHILD HE WAS
IS
 SHALL MEET AGAIN
WHERE CHILDREN NEVER DIE
WHERE PARENTS LIVE FOREVER

FRANK A VOLLMER

SHEMA

HEAR OH ISRAEL
THE LORD YOUR GOD
IS ONE

SH'MA YIS'RA'EIL ADONAI ELOHEINU ADONAI ECHAD

HEAR OH ISRAEL
THE LORD YOUR GOD
IS ONE

A SHOUT OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
A CRY THAT THERE IS NO GOD
BUT GOD

THE PRAYER IS CALLED
THE SHEMA
WHICH MEANS
LISTEN
HARKEN
ACT ON IT

THE WORD ECHAD
MEANS ONE
AS IN ENGLISH
THE WORD ONE HAS MANY MEANINGS
FIRST IN A SERIES
OR ONE OF MANY
AS A QUESTION
ANYONE HERE
AS AN INDICATOR
IS THAT THE ONE

BUT WHEN ALL THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS
HAVE BEEN EXPLORED
THE ONE THAT BEST SPEAKS
TO CREATOR/CREATURE
IS TO USE ONE
AS IN THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
WHERE EACH PARTNER SAYS
YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME

AND THIS IS THE ULTIMATE MEANING
OF SHEMA

SH'MA YIS'RA'EIL ADONAI ELOHEINU ADONAI ECHAD

HEAR OH ISRAEL
THE LORD YOUR GOD
IS ONE
FRANK A VOLLMER

EULOGY

EULOGY



SO MAYBE
YOU COULD WRITE A EULOGY
FOR US
WHILE WE’RE STILL LIVING
SO WE COULD ENJOY IT
WHILE WE’RE STILL ALIVE

WHAT COULD IT HURT
AND IT WILL SAVE TIME LATER

SO HERE GOES

THEY ARE WOMEN
FOR WHOM
FAMILY
IS FIRST

THEY BOTH LOST HUSBANDS
AFTER SEEING THEM THOUGH SICKNESS

THEIR CHILDREN LOVE THEM
IF ONLY
AFTER
THE PAIN OF ADOLESCENCE

THEIR HOUSES
HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN HOMES OF WELCOME

THEY LOVE THEIR BROTHER
IN SPITE OF THE FACT
HE WAS MOM’S FAVORITE

THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL
LIKE A VIGIL LIGHT
CASTING
A GLOW
AND A COLOR
ON ALL THEY MEET

THEY ARE MY SISTERS
AND MY FRIEND
AND I AM LUCKY
TO HAVE THEM
IN MY LIFE


FRANK A VOLLMER

EPITAPH FOR A WOMAN I NEVER KNEW

EPITAPH FOR A WOMAN I NEVER KNEW (ELSIE LINDBLOM)

I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO DIE I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE

AND YET AND YET

UNLESS THE SEED DIES
IT WILL NOT PRODUCE
UNLESS IT DIES
THERE WILL BE NO WHEAT TO FEED THE MANY

DID SHE NOT DIE THOSE MANY DEATHS
WHEN OTHERS WERE PUT AHEAD OF SELF
THAT THE WHEAT MIGHT GROW

AND DID SHE NOT LABOR LONG IN THE FIELD
LONG AFTER SUNSET'S SHADOW
AND DID SHE NOT LONG FOR THE DAWN
TO START AGAIN

I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO DIE I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE

AND YET AND YET

FAREWELL





f .a.vollmer

EL SHADDAI

EFFORTLESS

I WISH MY HEAD WAS FILLED WITH STARS
WITH ORACLES, MYSTERY AND MAGIC
WITH VISIONS OF A GOOD GOD
WALKING WITH ME IN THE EVENING COOL
WATCHING BIRDS
GLIDE DOWN THE SKY
IN THE FADING LIGHT
EFFORTLESS
AS I WISH MY LOVE FOR GOD
MY FRIEND GOD
WAS EFFORTLESS

HOW CAN I CALL HIM FRIEND
WHEN I TREAT HIM SO SHABBILY
BUT HE CALLED ME FRIEND FIRST
AND HIS LOVE FOR ME
IS AS EFFORTLESS
AS THAT BIRD THERE
FLOATING ON THE AIR
NO WING FLAPPING

OH THAT MY HEAD COULD BE FILLED WITH STARS
BUT I AM COMMITTED TO THE EARTH
BUT MY FRIEND GOD WALKS WITH ME
ENCOURAGING ME TO FLY

FRANK A VOLLMER