Too-Young Good-Bye

Too-Young Good-Bye

(youth, adults—the Humboldt team and friends)

 

In Canada

In Nipawin,

Youth and hockey

Care and safety

And something else transpires

Coaches and sponsors

Everyone does a job

And something else transpires

A bus and a truck tall and wide collide

And that’s it

There it is

An explosion perhaps not

In fiery effect

But of life regardless

And too terribly

I’ve been in vehicle crashes

So are many others

A truck crashed once into my car

I was sprayed with glass

And there was no question

The family station wagon would

Be replaced

People have been hurt in wrecks

This is what I know

Those who are close to this

Know so much more

And horrible

There are

Those who left

Pulled mortally from here,

The here and now we

Have

Those who remain

What shall be done

 

Too many must heal,

And we must return

To take each one gone

A gift

Of flesh and soul

And in quiet, be thankful he

Was with us

For a time—then

For each one still in sight,

Perception

 

All-gendered victims now

All ages then and since

All places

All relations

Thoughts and prayers are tired

Though we will inhale and

Pray for real, again

For faith however tried

And for answers that like deer

Are nimble and grace-filled

 

Look for authenticity

In choices of

Our love

Good-bye too soon

 

Each one

Not from eternal reach,

But the for hours we must count

‘Til heaven says all counting’s gone

Together

In a redemptive now

Always beginning

 

C L Couch

 

 

image above from Pinterest

image below from http://www.tripmondo.com/canada/saskatchewan/nipawin/

 

Fine Day

Fine Day

 

After many tries, I’ve found

A cup that right for soup

Shiny with a handle the right size for

The skin between my knuckles

Black, not so heavy, portable

Hot from the microwave

A Prufrock thing, perhaps

I handle the part thing in my hair

But not having so much of one

And I’ve dared to eat the peach,

Preferring clementines

Nothing much

Which is the point

We meet the God of the universe

Through an open orange pit

And stirring a galaxy in coffee

I think Julian might approve

 

C L Couch

 

 

https://pxhere.com/fr/photo/165696

 

Fools

Fools

(Easter 2018)

 

April fool on Easter

Funny, yes

But here’s a chance

To get it right

Christ died a fool, you know

He could have brought an army

Down to slay his persecutors

God can do that

Look up Jericho or Midian

He chose to remain instead

A savior

The world was the prank

That made a joke of him

Tell us, king, who

Hit you, spat on you

And crucified you

The April fool

King for a day, an ancient rite

In which the weakest ruled

In parody

Brief, great dynasty

Before execution, serving the good

Of the community

Because of sacrifice

Sin-eater

Bearer of all burdens

 

Such is the lesson

We have upside on this

Sabbath day

Before the riot

Before eggs and chocolate, flouncy fabric

Best behavior

Ham at home, all

Good things to celebrate

Though the best is yet to come

 

A magic trick, some say, though the brutality

Was real, and he did not

Escape the devil’s feint

The sleight of hand

Faith is foolish to

Those who will not have it

Who are afraid that

What we have

Is not enough

 

We have the choice

We don’t have victory

But we have found an empty tomb

 

C L Couch

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-35243823