Bring Out Your Dead

A CEREMONY FOR REMEMBERING

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD THE WATCHMAN CRIED

IN THE CITY WHERE HE WAS RIDING

ON A CART PILED HIGH WITH LAST YEARS DREAMS

AND LONG REMEMBERED ANGERS

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

THIS CITY THAT WAS ONCE SO FAIR

WHOSE WALLS WERE WHITE AND RIVERS CLEAR

WHERE MEN WALKED OUT ALONE AND UNAFRAID

HAS BECOME A STINKHOUSE OF REMEMBERED PAIN

AND PENT UP SORROW

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

LET WINDOWS ONCE MORE OPEN TO THE BREEZE

AND PIPERS PLAY NO MORE THE FUNERAL MARCH BUT GAY

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

THAT MEN MAY SAY ON PASSING BY

A FAIR CITY THERE PLEASING TO THE EYE

AND HEAR

THE LAUGHTER RINGING IN THE AIR

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

FRANK A VOLLMER

Dandelions

DANDELIONS ARE A NAUGHTY BREED

THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW THEIR PLACE

THEY GROW IN EVERYBODY'S YARD

A NATIONAL DISGRACE

BUT I LIKE THEM

I LIKE THEY WAY THEY CLAIM A FIELD

RUNNING RIOT IN THE SUN

LIKE SOME MOD PAINTER GOING WILD

SWIRLS AND DASHES DOTS AND SPLASHES

FRAGMENTS OF THE SUN

SPRINKLED IN THE GRASS

YELLOW SEQUINS IN HER HAIR

WHERE WOULD CHILDREN BE WITHOUT THEM

FOR TULIPS ARE A NONO

AND SO ARE NEIGHBORS ROSES

BUT DANDELIONS ARE FREE

FREE TO PICK FOR MOTHER'S SMILE

WHO CAN PRICE THAT MOMNENT

WHO CAN GIVE IT WORTH

WHEN A CHILD TINY FIST TIGHTLY CLENCHED

THE DANDELIONS DROPPINGIN A CIRCLE

SAYS, "FOR YOU I PICKED THEM

I PICKED THEM FOR YOU"

HOW MANY YOUNG ONES

WALKING THE FIELDS

HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE

PICKING THE FLOWERS

HOW MANY OLD ONES

OUT FOR A STROLL

HAVE REKINLED FLAME

DOING THE SAME

HOW MANY GRANDPARENTS

GRANDCHILD IN TOW

HAVE MADE THE AIR MAGIC

WITH DANDELION SEEDS

HAVE TAUGHT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN

THE OLD-NEW SECRET

OF HOW TO KEEP DANDELIONS

AROUND TO MAKE PRETTY

THE FIELDS AND THE MEADOWS

WITH FRAGMENTS OF SUN

O GOD GIVE ME FRIENDS

WHO ARE DANDELION LOVERS

GOOD FRIENDS WHO ARE ROWDY

AND EASY TO LAUGH

AND PRETTY GIRLS WHO SAY THEY LOVE ME

ESPECIALLY THEM THAT LIKE TO WEAR

DANDELION FLOWERS

IN THEIR HAIR

FRANK A VOLLMER

Gentle Rebuke (Matthew 16:21-28)(Mark 8:27-38)

SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE

IMPULSIVE PETER

SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE

THE WORDS WERE OUT

BEFORE HE HAD TIME TO THINK

BUT OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS FRIEND

AND THE IMPACT

OF THE WORDS HE HAD SAID

I MUST GO TO JERUSALEM AND DIE

HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND JESUS

AND DREW HIM TO HIMSELF

SHELTERING

AND SAID

IT MUST NOT BE

AND JESUS HEARTBROKEN

BECAUSE PETER

STILL

WAS UNAWARE OF HIS MISSION

SAID SOFTLY

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

ADVICE GIVEN A CHILD BY A PARENT

DON'T STUDY FOR THE MINISTRY

THERE’S NO FUTURE

LONG HOURS

AND LOW WAGES

SHELTERING THE CHILD

OR THOSE

WATCHING BOX CARS

RATTLING ACROSS EUROPE

FILLED WITH HUMANITY

AND SAYING NOTHING

OR PREACHERS

PREACHING BROTHERHOOD

IN A SEGREGATED CHURCH

WHILE LAZARUS

WAS UNDER THE TABLE

BEGGING CRUMBS

OR WORKMEN

AFTER YEARS OF SERVICE

FINDING NO PENSION

WHILE CEOS MAKE MILLIONS

WHERE IS THE CRY FOR JUSTICE

MUTED BY THOSE WHO HAVE

AND JESUS SAYS

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

UNLESS A MAN

IS WILLING TO TAKE A STAND

AND SUFFER WITH ME

HE IS NOT WORTHY OF ME

JESUS SAYS

GIVE ME PEOPLE

LIKE MOTHER TERESA

MAHATMA GANDHI

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

DOROTHY DAY

DANIEL BERRIGAN

JOHN XXIII

TAKE YOUR ARM FROM AROUND ME

I AM NOT A TOY

OR PRETTY FEELING

TO BE SHELTERED FROM THE STORM

I KNOW YOU LOVE ME

BUT YOUR ARM AROUND ME HINDERS ME

I NEED TO STRETCH

MY ARMS OUT

FOR THE CROSS

I AM YOUR FRIEND

WHO DOES NOT SHIRK

FROM EMPTYING HIMSELF

AND DYING ON A CROSS

FRANK A VOLLMER

Reality

IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN THIS WAY

I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LION TAMER

DRAGON SLAYER

WOOD GATHERER

GUARDIAN AT THE GATE

BUT LIFE HAS CAUGHT UP WITH DREAMS

REALITY WITH FANTASY

IT WASN'T SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN THIS WAY

BUT IT HAS

AND NOW SHE WATCHES OVER ME DAY AND NIGHT

I'M GUY ENOUGH TO ENJOY IT

WHILE FEELING GUILTY

DON QUIXOTE

WITH DENTED ARMOUR

AND BROKEN LANCE HAS RETIRED FROM THE FIELD

TO ENTER INTO A DIFFERENT FRAY

THAT OF GETTING WELL

THE ENEMY HERE IS HARDER THAN ANY I HAVE FOUGHT BEFORE

BUT I HAVE MOTIVE IN WIFE

CHILDREN

AND IN

GRANDPOP “YOU'RE SO FUNNY”

LIFE IS BEING REDUCED TO LOVING

AND BEING LOVED

AND LETTING PEOPLE PRACTICE ACTS OF KINDNESS

BY OPENING DOORS

AND REACHING THINGS

THAT ARE TOO FAR

A MOMENTARY

BROTHERHOOD

SISTERHOOD

THAT SAYS

IT’S STILL GODS WORLD

ARMOUR MAY BE RETIRED

LANCE MAY BE PUT TO REST

BUT I CAN LOOK IN THE MIRROR

AND SEE GOD’S FACE BEHIND ME

frank a vollmer

Beaver College

I REMEMBER I REMEMBER

THE COLLEGE THAT LOOKED LIKE A CASTLE

A CASTLE WHERE KNIGHTS WOULD DO THEIR MIGHTY DEEDS

A CASTLE A COLLEGE

ON THE WAY TO THE AMUSEMENT PARK

I REMEMBER I REMEMBER

IT WAS MY FATHER'S ONE DAY OFF

AND FOR A BARGAIN FARE ON A TROLLEY CAR

THE FAMILY WOULD GO TO THE PARK

I REMEMBER I REMEMBER

HOW WE WERE TOLD THERE WOULD BE NO RIDES

WE WOULD EAT THE LUNCH WE PACKED

AND LISTEN TO THE BAND MUSIC ON THE GRASS

WHERE SAT ALL OF US WHO COULDN'T AFFORD A TICKET

BUT I REMEMBER I REMEMBER

MY DAD WAS WITH US

ON HIS ONE DAY OFF

HOW TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY

WE'D RIDE THE MERRY GO ROUND

NOT KNOWING THEN

BUT KNOWING NOW THAT HE'D WALK TO WORK IN THE MORNING

YES I REMEMBER I REMEMBER

BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER BEING POOR

BUT RICH

GOING HOME

NESTLED AGAINST MY FATHER

ON THE TROLLEY

SLEEPING WITH MY FATHER'S ARM AROUND ME

AND FEELING LOVED AND WARM

Frank Vollmer

Carousel

MERRY GO ROUND

MERRY GO ROUND

HELD BY MY PARENT

ON A MERRY GO ROUND

WHEN I WAS SMALL

AND THE WORLD WAS TALL

CHASED BY DRAGONS

OR PERSUING THEM

ON HORSES, LIONS OR FANTASIES

WHICH NEVER WERE

BUT REAL TO ME

ON THE MERRY GO ROUND

THE MERRY GO ROUND

HELD BY MY PARENTS

WHEN I WAS SMALL

THEN LATER I WAS TOO GROWNUP

EXCEPT TO ESCORT A GIRL

THEN LATER I WAS TOO GROWNUP

EXCEPT TO ESCORT A WIFE

UNTIL NOW WHEN I AM MUCH GROWNUP

I STILL FIND

THE MUSIC OF THE CAROUSEL

INVITING

EXCITING

I WILL NOT RIDE THE SEATS

PROVIDED FOR THE OLD

NO

I MUST MOUNT A HORSE

A LION

OR A FANTASY

IT MUST MOVE

AS IT MOVES ME

TO BE A CHILD AGAIN

IN A WORLD

THAT OFTEN

HAS GROWN

TOO TALL

f. a. vollmer

Mother's Spit (Mark 8:23) (JOHN 9)

I REMEMBER

BEING SPIT POLISHED

BEFORE CHURCH

WITH MOTHER’S SPIT

I ALSO REMEMBER

HAVING MY CLOTHING WET CLEANED

BEFORE BEING SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD

AND BRUISES AND CUTS

WERE STARTED ON THE WAY TO HEALING

WITH THE SAME

MOTHER’S SPIT

MIRACLE POTION

HEALING TEARS

WHILE RESTORING

A CRYING FACE

TO ITS ORIGINAL SHINE

SOMETIMES I LONG FOR MOTHER’S SPIT

TO PUT THE WORLD BACK TO WHERE IT WAS

I LOOK AT MY GRANDCHILDREN

AND ALL THE BACTERIA

KILLING PRODUCTS

AND KNOW THEY'LL NEVER REPLACE

A MOTHER’S

ANXIOUS

AND LOVING FACE

SAYING LOOK AT YOU NOW

PLAYING STICK BALL

IN YOUR SUNDAY CLOTHES

COME HERE WHILE I FIX YOU

AND LIKE JESUS

BENDING OVER

THE BLIND MAN

THE DEAF MAN

SHE'D RESTORE ME

TO PRISTINE GLORY

AND SEND ME ON MY WAY

FRANK A VOLLMER