WAR IN A FAR COUNTRY

.Newfoundlanders at war sustained massive fatality and casualty (dead plus wounded) rates. Fatalities claimed one quarter of the regiment’s overseas force. Casualties stood at 72 percent, or 58 percent of the nominal roll. Rates for the Royal Naval Reserve were lower. The long-term effects of the loss of so many young lives, compounded by the number of wounded, disabled and diseased, were substantial

They represented nearly 10 percent of the total male population, or 35.6 percent of young men between the ages of 19 and 35

AT THAT TIME NEWFOUNDLAND’S POPULATION WAS 24000O

 

 

WAR IN A FAR COUNTRY

 

YOU MIGHT WONDER

WHY A COUNTRY

IN WHICH I WASN’T BORN

CONCERNS ME

 

IT WAS MY MOTHER’S ISLAND

AND BY PROXY MINE

 

WITH SO FEW ELIGIBLE BACHELORS

AND HARD TIMES

BROUGHT ON IN PART

BY THE COST OF CARING FOR THE CASUALTIES

HURT

MAIMED IN BODY

AND MIND

GASSED

 

ALSO NEWFOUNDLAND

WITH VILLAGES

CALLED OUTPORTS

WHICH RINGED THE ISLAND

WITH POPULATIONS OF MAYBE 10 FAMILIES

WHOSE INDUSTRY WAS COD FISHING

WHOSE COMMUNICATION

WITH THE REST OF THE ISLAND

OR THE REST OF THE WORLD

WAS BY SEA

THERE WERE FEW CROSS COUNTRY ROADS

 

AND THE YOUNG MEN HAD TO WORK WITH THEIR FATHERS

TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY

IF THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY

DIED EARLY

OR HURT

THERE WAS NO SAFETY NET OR PENSION

 

WITH SO FEW ELIGIBLE BACHELORS

AND JOBS

MY MOTHER DECIDED TO IMMIGRATE

TO THE STATES

MET MY FATHER

AND HERE I AM

 

                IT HAS BEEN PLUS 85 YEARS

SINCE THE AUSPICIOUS DAY OF MY BIRTH

DURING THAT LIFESPAN

THERE HAVE BEEN CONTINUAL WARS

OR THE RUMOR OF WARS

 

UNTIL NOW WE HAVE WARS

WITHOUT ENDING

WHERE TO END

WE HAVE TO DECLARE VICTORY

AND LEAVE

 

LIKE TACITUS

WE CAN SAY

 

 

THEY HAVE MADE A WILDERNESS

AND CALL IT PEACE

 

 

 

WE KEEP SENDING OUR YOUNG MEN

TO FEED THE INSATIABLE MEAT GRINDER

 

WE CALL IT NOBLE

AND IT IS

EVEN IF THE CAUSE IS UNJUST

OR MANUFACTURED

 

BUT THE GREY HEADS

THAT SEND YOUNG MEN TO WAR

SIT IN NICE OFFICES

IMMUNE TO PAIN

OR THE COST OF BAD JUDGMENT

 

THEY SHOUT HURRAHS

THEN VOTE TO CUT

A VETERANS PENSION

 

I THINK WHAT CAUSING MY DOUR THOUGHTS

ARE PICTURES OF OUR RETURNING VETERANS

DELIMBED

SCARRED IN MIND AND BODY

 

I WANT TO SCREAM

WHY

AND WHAT WASTE

TO WHAT MEANINGFUL PURPOSE

 

THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY

 

IN A CHRISTIAN NATION

THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER WAY

 

IT SEEMS A HOPELESS TASK

BUT IF EACH ONE OF US TRIED TO LIVE PEACEFULLY

 

FORGIVE WRONGS

WE SUCK ON LIKE

 A SORE TOOTH

 

12 MEN STARTED THE CHURCH

NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD WIN A NOBEL PRIZE

 

DAILY WE SAY

FORGIVE OUR SINS

AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS

 

IT’S A START

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

(JOHN 3:18) MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER

John 3:8

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit

MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER

WAS A SEA CAPTAIN

SAILING OUT OF ST JOHN’S NEWFOUNDLAND

WHATEVER THE TASK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE

SAILING TO EUROPE

AMERICA

CANADA

WHEREVER SALTED COD WAS EATEN

TO LABRADOR

FOR THE SEALING TRADE

HE TAUGHT ME LOYALTY

WHEN YOU SIGNED ON TO A CREW

YOU WORKED TO MAKE THAT TRIP SUCCESSFUL

HE EXPORTED WOOD AND MINERALS

BROUGHT BACK NEEDED FOOD PRODUCTS

AND PRODUCTS 

NOT GENERALLY AVAILABLE ON THE ISLAND

THE CREW WAS PAID A WORKMEN’S WAGE

THE OFFICER’S BETTER

WE LEAD A COMFORTABLE NEWFOUNDLAND LIFE

WE WERE ENGLISH

THE WORKMEN IRISH

HIS NAME WAS ARCHIBALD

HE PREFERRED ARCH

I DON’T NEED REMINDERS

THE HAIR IS THIN

HE’D SAY

HE TOLD ME MANY STORIES

SOME TRUE

SOME TALL

HE WARNED ME

ABOUT THE WEE PEOPLE

THE GHOSTS THAT WALK AT NIGHT

SUCH STORIES

THAT THE INTELLIGENT PART OF MY BRAIN

LOOKS DOWN WITH SCORN

AND ENVY

IT WAS A MAGICAL WORLD

AND MY MOTHER WAS FEY

I AM AN OLD MAN NOW

I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS

BUT ONE I STILL REMEMBER FONDLY

WAS WHEN MY GRANDFATHER

 GAVE ME A CONCH SHELL

SAID LISTEN

I DID

AND HEARD THE OCEAN

NOW THE INTELLIGENT PART OF MY BRAIN WILL SAY

THE SHELL ACTS AS A RESONATOR

FOR AMBIENT SOUND

THE PART OF MY BRAIN

THAT BELIEVES

SOME THINGS ARE TRUE

BELIEVED MY GRANDFATHER

WHEN HE SAID

LISTEN CLOSELY

YOU’LL HEAR GOD’S VOICE

IF YOU GO INTO A ROOM DEVOID OF SOUND

THE SHELL DOES NOTHING

TOO OFTEN I HAVE BEEN IN THAT ROOM

GOD WAITING OUTSIDE THE DOOR

FOR ME TO OPEN

TOO OFTEN I SPOKEN INTO THAT SHELL

NOT ALLOWING TIME FOR ANSWERS

TOO OFTEN I HAVE HIDDEN THAT SHELL

NOT WANTING TO DO WHAT IT SAID

BUT THE SHELL KEEPS CALLING ME

WITH THE MYSTICAL SOUND OF THE SEA

WHO LIMITED THE OCEAN TO IT’S BASIN

WHO CREATED THE LEVIATHAN

WHO TELLS THE WIND WHERE TO BLOW

SETS THE MOON AND THE SUN

LIKE A CLOCK

WHO MADE YOU

MY FINEST CREATION

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THE SHELL

WHICH SOUNDS CONTINUALLY

COME HOME

COME HOME

TO THE SEA

FRANK A VOLLMER

MY CHOICE

 

 

 

I CHOSE YOU TO BE MY MATE

NOW

ALWAYS

I CHOOSE YOU

 

THROUGH RAIN

AND

SUNNY DAYS

 

THROUGH TURBULENT SEAS

AND PLACID

 

I CHOOSE YOU

 

RECEIVE THIS RING

AS A SIGN

A RING HAS NO END

 

LEAN ON ME

AS I ON YOU

 

TOGETHER WE FORM AN ARCH

WITH GOD AS KEYSTONE

 

AS WE LEAD OUR LIVES TOGETHER

WORTHY OF THE GOD WHO LOVES US

 

WHEN WE FAIL

LET US BE WILLING TO FORGIVE

AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



(JOHN 4) WOMAN AT THE WELL

 

WOMAN AT THE WELL

TO BEGIN
SHE WAS A WOMAN
SHE HAD NO RIGHTS
EXCEPT THAT GIVEN BY THE MAN WHO OWNED HER

 

HUSBAND
FATHER
BROTHER
UNCLE
DOWN THE FAMILY TREE

 

A JEWISH MAN
DID NOT WILLINGLY SPEAK TO A WOMAN
NOT HIS KIN

 

IN FACT HIS MORNING PRAYER WAS

THANK YOU GOD FOR NOT MAKING ME
A WOMAN
SLAVE
OR GENTILE

 

BESIDE THAT SHE WAS A SAMARITAN
LOWER THAN A WOMAN
ALMOST A NON-PERSON

 

BUT THIS JEWISH GENTLE MAN
HAD APPROACHED HER
WHILE SHE WAS AT THE WELL
AND ASKED HER FOR A DRINK

 

WHAT SURPRISED HER
BEYOND A JEW TALKING TO A GENTILE
WAS THAT HE ASKED HER FOR A DRINK POLITELY

 

SHE’D BEEN USE TO BEING ORDERED ABOUT
NOT ALWAYS CIVILLY
AND NEVER WITH A PLEASE

 

HOW CAN YOU A JEW SPEAK TO ME

IS YOUR THIRST THAT GREAT
 

IF YOU KNEW WHO I AM
YOU’D KNOW
I CAN GIVE YOU LIVING WATER

ONE WHO DRINKS OF IT WILL NEVER THIRST

 

YOU HAVE NO PITCHER
AND THE WELL IS DEEP
HOW CAN YOU GIVE ME
THIS LIVING WATER

BUT IF YOU CAN
GIVE ME SOME
SO I CAN STOP COMING TO THIS WELL

 

GET YOUR HUSBAND

 

I HAVE NO HUSBAND

 

YOU HAVE HAD FIVE

BUT YOUR PRESENT MAN
IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND

 

ARE YOU A PROPHET
OR BETTER THE MESSIAH

 

TELL ME WHICH TEMPLE IS BETTER
OUR OR YOURS

 

BOTH TEMPLES
ARE GOING AWAY

FOR GOD WILL BE WORSHIPPED
AS HE CHOOSES

 

FOR
GOD IS SPIRIT
 AND HIS WORSHIPERS
MUST WORSHIP
IN THE SPIRIT
 AND IN TRUTH

BUT WHEN WILL MESSIAH COME

 

THE ONE WHO SPEAKS TO YOU
IS HE
 

HOW MANY TIMES IN OUR ORDINARY LIFE
DOING MUNDANE THINGS
LIKE GOING FOR WATER
DO WE MEET JESUS

AND REFUSE HIM A DRINK
OR THE TIME OF DAY

FRANK A VOLLMER


AMOS 8:4-7

AMOS 8:4-7

⁴ Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor of the land,

⁵ saying,

“When will the New Moon be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market wheat?”—

skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating with dishonest scales,

⁶ buying the poor with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,

    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.

⁷ The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.

ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE TO BE BELIEVED

OR THEY JUST HAPPY TALK

LISTENED TO BE EARS THAT DO NOT HEAR

UNABLE TO PENETRATE OUR HEARTS

THE WORDS OF AMOS

WRITTEN OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO

TRANSCRIBED INTO MODERN TIMES

WOULD READ LIKE TODAY’S HEADLINES

WHILE THOSE WHO DO IT

PRATE PIOUS PLATITUDES

THE LORD HAS SAID

HE WILL NOT FORGET THEIR ACTIONS

LORD WE HAVE WANDERED FAR

FROM OUR FATHER’S HOUSE

WITH A RIGHT SPIRIT RENEW US

AND MELT OUR HEARTS TO HEAR

FRANK A VOLLMER

OLD DAYS

OLD DAYS

 

 

I  HEARD A SPEAKER

WAX ELOQUENTLY

ABOUT HOW GOOD

THE OLD DAYS WERE

 

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER

THAT DURING THOSE IDYLLIC TIMES

WE HAD RACE HATRED

AND RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

.LABOR STRIFE AS WORKERS

FOUGHT FOR A LIVING WAGE

AND SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS

 MANY WERE HUNGRY

 AND ARE STILL HUNGRY

SIX MILLION JEWS SLAUGHTERED

 AND THE CHURCHES WERE SILENT

 

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN GOOD TIMES

 FOR A FEW

 BUT CHRISTIANITY

IS A COMMUNITY RELIGION

AND IF ONE IS HUNGRY

ALL ARE HUNGRY

 

FRAN A VOLLMER

some thoughts (pope francis)

 

FRANCIS SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD TODAY. PEOPLE DIE OF COLD IN THE STREETS BECAUSE OF THIS INDIFFERENCE: “IF IN SO MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOTHING TO EAT, THAT'S NOT NEWS, IT SEEMS NORMAL. IT CANNOT BE THIS WAY! YET THESE THINGS BECOME THE NORM: THAT SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE DIE OF COLD ON THE STREETS IS NOT NEWS. IN CONTRAST, A TEN POINT DROP ON THE STOCK MARKETS OF SOME CITIES IS A TRAGEDY. A PERSON DYING IS NOT NEWS, BUT IF THE STOCK MARKETS DROP TEN POINTS IT IS A TRAGEDY! THUS PEOPLE ARE DISPOSED OF, AS IF THEY WERE TRASH. CONSUMERISM HAS LED US TO BECOME USED TO AN EXCESS AND DAILY WASTE OF FOOD, TO WHICH, AT TIMES, WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO GIVE A JUST VALUE, WHICH GOES WELL BEYOND MERE ECONOMIC PARAMETERS,” (POPE FRANCIS)

 

 

 

 

ONE OF THE MOST PERSISTENT HERESIES ESPECIALLY IN MODERN TIMES IS THE SEPARATION OF FAITH FROM DAILY LIFE

 

IT INFECTS EVERYONE FROM CLERICS HIDING PEDERASTY, POLITICIANS WHO PUT BEING REELECTED OVER MORAL JUDGMENTS, DOWN TO YOU AND I

 

 

AN ECONOMIST HAS SAID IN RESPONSE TO THE POPE’S STATEMENT

THAT CAPITALISM CAN CURE POVERTY

I ASK IF THAT IS SO WHY DOES IT STILL EXIST

IS IT BECAUSE OF LACK OF WILL.

 

 

THOSE IN CHARGE ARE COMMITTED TO THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE.

 

ALL OF US ARE DESTINED TO ASK THE QUESTION

WHEN WERE YOU HUNGRY

NAKED OR POOR

 

CAN WE LIVE WITH THE ANSWER

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER