Hear the Sky

(x = space)

x

x

Hear the Sky

x

Today the sky is talking through

The rain,

Discussing how to wash the

Earth

Tonight the sky

Might be humming a humid tune

About solace, anyway, and rest

x

The sky can sing

Through brightened colors

The rainbow, yes,

But don’t forget the message

In the blue,

Beauty that is not owned

By anyone

That doesn’t care for borders

But flies over them

Unchallenged

x

The sky is its own master

We can hear that anytime

It will speak its blessings

Or admonishments

Maybe we should listen

And respect

And offer messages of harmony

Ourselves

x

Does the sky hear us?

It may have heard

It might hear again

x

C L Couch

x

x

Sunset in Vancouver

Photo by Ferdinand Stöhr on Unsplash

x

on the altar

(x = space)

x

x

on the altar

x

lord

what shall we give

but everything

and what is everything?

if i offer myself upon an altar

then will you send an angel

to stay my hand?

if i offer up my part in relationships

will you have an angel

tell me

not so much

before i am alone?

if it’s my wardrobe or accounts

or the corporation or the army

(like saint francis)

or plans

x

earthly luxury

or earthly victory

will you send a hallelujah chorus

to tell me, no, not that much?

or will you tell me to keep

going:

my body to begin with

as a living sacrifice,

my mind turning only as you turn it,

the sadness of

living against the world

for the renewing of my mind

x

my body as a sacrifice

in worship

without sacrificing animals

or the worldly counterparts

but sacrificing me

the only thing to set apart,

holy for you

x

could you ask that much

or do you ask that much all the time

while i do not hear?

then i should listen with the

hearing that you gave me

x

c l couch

x

romans 12:1-2

x

x

photo by ricardo gomez angel on unsplash

x

Wednesday Invitationing

(x = space)

x

x

Wednesday Invitationing

x

Will you join me for

An hour or so?

We’ll sip something

Look at nature

Listen

Listen to each other

I want to know how

You’re doing

x

Good, clean fun

We’ll laugh

We’ll tell stories

Maybe laugh some more

Maybe we’ll share words

From each other’s

Secret language while

Magic

Words proven beyond us

Are written

In the sky

x

Then afterward sun

And cloud move

Toward

The end of day

As if they have

A syncopated plan

x

C L Couch

x

x

Electric Spiral Energy System

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

x

Out of the Not so Silent Planet

(x = space)

x

x

Out of the Not so Silent Planet

(on a Wednesday)

x

On the hump day

(bless the camel)

Or on any day

We might turn to God,

Which can be a matter of

Turning inside,

Somehow

We acknowledge God

That voice inside

And coming from the outside

Coming from you

Inspired or directed

Seeming

Happenstance, perhaps

We listen

We should listen

No matter if there’s sound

We also learn

Through touch or taste

Of other of the senses

Listening in time

Receiving new instructions

That might say

Stop, be here with me

A while

Then move on

Or might say

Move on, now

We stewards of the realm

Will have our orders

In this funny place

Where there is a monarch

Everyone else

A steward charged with

Variously

Caring for the realm

To move it forward

Into safety and progression

For the approval

Of the other worlds that

With our Lord

Do watch us now

x

C L Couch

x

x

Childhood’s Beginning

(x = space)

x

x

Childhood’s Beginning

x

Here is the litany of complaints:

My back hurts;

I’m tired;

I’m tired of my back hurting

And my feet

And sometimes my left shoulder

And the headaches

x

I should soak my feet in

Medicated water,

Something like the

Still water

We are promised in

The company of the Lord

x

You have a list,

I’m sure

x

And I mean to be respectful,

But sometimes

The child’s cry is stronger than the

Grown-up’s

Sense of things; and

We should listen to

The child,

The plaintive child,

The honest child

x

Sometimes it hurts—

That’s all there is

x

C L Couch

x

x

A Silent Little Girl Looks at Camera

Photo by Assad Tanoli on Unsplash

Lassan Thakral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

x

English teacher’s note

Arthur C. Clarke wrote a novel called Childhood’s End.

x

Look

Look

(listen)

 

Creation’s green

And blue and yellow

And by extension

Brown the tree

And gray in shadow

Black the city street

Red the bricks across

Silver steel

On buildings, too

I’m not sure what to say

About the color glass

No colors

Or all

 

C L Couch

 

 

Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash

Treasure Island Flea Market, San Francisco, United States

 

Litany

Litany

 

I speak

Then you speak

It’s good

It’s good for the church

For the service

It’s even better for us

A way to talk that has rhythm and remembrance

Ages-long and fresh each time

You speak

Then I speak

We listen—we don’t forget that part

The service ended,

We go in peace

 

C L Couch

 

The Banshee Cries

The Banshee Cries

 

I split the night, I know

I want to

Further chaos into silent

Human sleep

 

I have neither quiet

Nor rest

Why should you?

 

And when my piercing

Work is done

And I’ve coursed through

Your family

 

I’ll come for you

You won’t see though

You will hear

And maybe at last

Listen

 

Too late to fix your

Prophecy

 

That’s done:

 

And you will come with me

To a place

Where hellish noise is

All you know

 

You,

Betraying man

Who spoke

Curses in love

Timpi

Timpi

 

Timpi

Timpani

Steady the beat

Avoid the roll

That ends with

A set of

Cymbals’ crash

 

Self-control

Must be a challenge

In the heat

Even the heat

Inside the

 

Body

Or maybe in-

Between

Two bodies

 

Maybe in some

Atoms of

Moments, we

Find control,

Once we

Release it

 

And yet

Restraint—take

A moment, take

A breath—is

Not a bad

Course, either

 

Listen

 

Watch and learn

The lessons

And the rhythms

Of life are

Coming at you

 

Some assembly

With discretion

Required

Before we

Let all run

And run away

 

C L Couch

 

Word-High July: Welcome!

Maria of Doodles and Scribbles and I [that’s Rosema at rosemawrites] are more than excited to read your takes on the 30 Beautiful Filipino Words.

1. Write or create a post inspired or about the Filipino word prompts.
2. A post can be anything. A poem, a fiction, a six-word tale, or even a photo. It’s all up to you.
3. Linkback/create a pingback to this post: Word-High July 30 Beautiful Filipino Words. Here is a quick tutorial on how to do a pingback.
4. Tag your post with WordHighJuly, so your co-bloggers will be able to read/see your take on the prompt. Here’s how you create tags.
5. Most important of all, read and comment to your blogger friends (old and new found, we’ll never know).

HOP ON and let’s all GET WORD-HIGH this JULY!