May 29, 2009

Words like fruit, art, bombs, and brushfire

by Anonymous

wide banana

I could wax eloquent, but there's no reason to do that when we have a featured poem like Milton's linguistics from Don't Eat Alone.

The spirit of this poem is right in line with our vision and our earlier post Please, stand by me at work. Based on Milton's poem, I'd say that we stand by each other, at least in part, in the way we choose our words.

linguistics

It’s not so
much what I say
but what you hear –

I can pick through
my words like fruit,
choosing what’s
ripe and ready –

I can order them
meticulously, like
mosaic tiles turning
tiny chips of meaning
into a shining image –

I can pack them
like pipe bombs, full
of all I know the world
needs to explode
what is wrong and leave
peace in the ruins –

I, too, can listen
and lay open my heart
to the brushfire
that burns, baptizes,
and leaves me looking
for you and a way to say,
“I love you” in your language.

Isn’t that the message
of Pentecost?

Here are a few more highlights from inside and outside the network:

A very brief clip from Dave at Tongue-Tied Poetics. In To Helena, once again he writes:

Nearly, I went over the edge, I
am ashamed to admit, taking offense

L. L. at Seedlings in Stone (on brief Sabbatical from RAP) is feeling a bit Bottled:

I am fizzle
fazzle pizazz,

Laura at The Wellblog shares The Vacation Bible School Blues:

I start to work
in a garage where lawnmower
and bicycles flirt

Monica shares some vacation poetry at My Big Three about being a Cliff Dweller at Mesa Verde and includes these startling two lines:

Rock is ceiling; rock is wall.
Women kneel to grind the corn.

Pastor Chad at Listening to the Wind writes a review The Pastor as Minor Poet:

Someone has to teach people how to dream... When more and more pastors are confusing their role with that of an entertainer, this is a strong and passionate plea not to abandon the hard work of helping people see God.

Here are some poems from around the network and beyond...