Christmas 12

(x = space)

x

x

Christmas 12

(or What You Will)

x

They’re drumming loudest

Of all

Not like Buddy Rich

More like Sousa

x

Twelfth day

Twelfth night

The vigil for Epiphany

A holy time

We have a different kind

Of pageant, here

x

Not that it’s unholy

And it’s intentioned—it’s

Insane

I should say it

I have to watch it

And to hear it

And there’s the cleaning up

Each day

And after?

x

Fish and Wildlife

Are here

And I’ve contacted agents

For the talent

And even though

We’re here

And Julian is there

Maybe she is right,

And

After many sighs

Some resolution

All shall be well

x

As for you, true love,

Please

Please

I don’t know

Please go away?

Wait, you’re responsible for this

I think I liked the pipers

They may stay awhile

So I may hear them

Better

And if they behave,

Some of the birds

May stay

For show

To accompany

(sorry, FWS

please come back tomorrow

or stay

for the concert)

x

And, love,

I don’t know if you may stay

I do know

Our relationship needs some work

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Melvin Darrell on Unsplash

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I wrote something for each verse but did not post them all.  There were days when other things were more pressing or distracting.  I do have the entire series.

Shakespeare took the title of his play from this brief season, anticipating Epiphany, a time of discovery.

Thank you.  Let love be true.

x

Christmas 10

(x = space)

x

x

Christmas 10

x

Look at that,

Lords leaping

We had to take this

Outside

The neighbors may look over

Though they rarely do

Unless they do

And how did I know that

They were lords?

It was on the dance cards

They provided

x

The ladies wouldn’t like it:

There was one lord too many

No, wait,

It is a lord to be frustrated

By a dearth of one

x

Though it’s only counting,

Everything’s confused

These ten thus-far

Days

Is it any wonder

From the wonders?

x

Sigh,

I left them leaping

To go inside to ponder

Eleven

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

x

Christmas 7

(x = space)

x

x

Christmas 7

x

1

I didn’t use

An Advent calendar this year

But of another kind,

That of the Twelve Days of Christmas

With each day a piece of chocolate

Behind the door

We didn’t have chocolate calendars

Ours were all paper,

Which was fine

We had other sources of chocolate

And sugar overall during

The holidays

x

Counting this way

And each day a treat

From Godiva

I’m finding this

A very grown-up

Practice

And it’s tasty

x

Yesterday

I saw in a movie

What looked typical

For an Advent calendar

Except that behind the door

There were two chocolate pieces

Now!

Isn’t that like Christmas?

Each day to share a treat

Moment of pleasure in

Giving and receiving

x

We were seven;

We would have fought over that,

Which wouldn’t help at all

The cause of Christmas

Paper was enough for us

It was negotiable

The pictures were pretty

x

2

Now on this seventh day,

My love,

There are swans that are swimming

So there must be water

Is it my pond

You have the use of

Or did you bring a set of barrels

Or a tub?

x

You know that swans are nasty creatures

(like the geese)

Beauty to behold

From a distance

Awkward to watch take off

Or land;

Maybe that’s where their disposition

Comes from,

From vanity

That’s thwarted

Humility mandated

Every day

x

They are not quiet

They hiss

The swansong thus

A sad and inaccurate metaphor

I’m sure there’s a story

We can look it up

There is the story

Of the white swan of the black

That bifurcates

The human spirit

And the soul

x

But these days are an entertainment,

Yes?

And when will it become

Entertaining,

My true love?

There’s water, feathers, disordination, and bird

Droppings

Let’s move to a field

With a barn to rent

For the next

And then the rest

And then (to pun)

I’ll need to rest

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Raphael Nast on Unsplash

x

Christmas 6

(x = space)

x

x

Christmas 6

x

Geese

And they are laying

How did you work that out?

At least we could sell the eggs

To service all the critters

By now and forthcoming

x

Geese don’t like us much

They honk when they’re annoyed

And they’re annoyed a lot

So am I with you,

True love,

And this relentless

Stratagem

That somehow you perceive

As courting

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Eric Brehm on Unsplash

x

Humility Blues

(x = space)

x

x

Humility Blues

x

(verse)

Virtue’s gone away

Vanity is here to stay

x

(chorus)

O, Christians, I got the

Humility blues

x

(verse)

Cool cats keep it humble

Don’t want to rumble, stumble

x

(chorus)

O, Christians, I got the

Humility blues

x

(bridge)

Vanity’s a bummer

Winter, fall, or summer

Wake up into spring

Humility’s the thing

x

(one more time)

Cool cats keep it humble

Don’t want to rumble, stumble

x

(bring it home)

O, people,

We got the humility blues

x

C L Couch

x

x

(I misread the title to something as “Humility Blues”—what the title was supposed to be I can’t recall)

x

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

x

In a Word

(x = space)

x

x

In a Word

x

The gospel in a word is love

So goes a song

And it is

Gospel, song, or word

x

The reason for the actions

And the stories

The meaning of everything

(there, you were wondering)

Is love

x

Love precedes judgment

And is precedent

It precedes creation

And was the reason for it

Don’t worry, it is practical and smart

It is reasonable

And sounder than reason

For it lasts and is unwarranted

It outlasts our philosophy schools

And business strategies

And even plans for war

x

It fortifies all decent purposes

Makes relations possible

Between all sorts of people

Plans

And nations

x

It ends war

Keeps many wars from starting

It is the reason why we feed

And water

And clothe

Ourselves and everyone

Everywhere

It is the reason why we go to work

Or school

And why we come home after

It is home

And family

And self

And God

Civil society

It is why we move forward

And come back

Strength for today

Bright hope for tomorrow

x

The first song concludes

(at least in my youth group)

Love your neighbor

As we’ve heard

From long ago

In many texts

And songs

x

As it is

As it really is

Our lives go on

Conclude

Having begun

With love

x

C L Couch

x

x

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a hymn from the 1920s by Chisholm, Runyan, and Schrotenboer.  The other song alluded to is called “Love, Love, Love, Love”; it is a more contemporary song and is often sung as a round.

x

Photo by Michael Maasen on Unsplash

x

We’re Often Told

(x = space)

x

x

We’re Often Told

x

I have no idea why

A nice song comes to mind

And then another

It’s not for beatific sleep

Or a sweet disposition

Wakened first thing

By the telephone

It’s not because of bristly

Wind outside,

Blowing what fall colors

We have known

Off slender branches

That could have been clothed

A while longer, should

Nature have consulted me

Tired, cranky

Thinking so-and-so by so-and-so

And I mean me

It should be a gray and spiny

Day by all accounts

Gray and apathy

Yet pleasant lyrics

With their high notes come

My way, though I did not

Ask them to

Serenaded by the mariachis

I have made up in

A mind that will not quit

Drugged by caffeine,

Scarred over

Not so pretty if I ever was

An inside and an outside

Needing shelves

And somehow from the files

Arising from the folders

Made of neurons

There is

Something to listen to

The kind that has no hearing

Seeing a singer

Who’s not there

On stage in costume

For a minimal production

Of a bittersweet play,

Which is what I get

Shortly after waking

On a late-fall day

In Pennsylvania of the USA

Wherever you might be

Might be the same

Company across telepathy

Made by

The chief of surgery

Who’s had the job

Since there were eons

Needing mending

With a song

x

C L Couch

x

x

“Somebody to Watch Over Me” by Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin

x

Photo by Dmitriy K. on Unsplash

Kyiv, Украина

x

Bring All Your Failures

(x = space)

x

x

Bring All Your Failures

x

A line in a gospel song

I’d say that’s right

As an invitation

To the altar

Bring what’s wrong

Don’t worry about

The Sunday best

God will take you as you are

That kind of party

Come as you are

Forgiveness and the feast

Are especially for you

When you are

That way

x

C L Couch

x

x

Psalm 141:2

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

x

“God So Loved”

Written By: We The Kingdom, Andrew Bergthold, Martin Cash, Franni Rae Cash, Scott Cash and Ed Cash
Album: Live At The Wheelhouse (2019)

x

Runaway Psalm

(x = space)

x

x

Runaway Psalm

x

God, lay the morning

Down on us

Softly, unless there

Must be a storm

Give our senses

Easy labor

Except in greater need

Then call us out

To work the needs for people

Who should have

A day in which

To praise you

By still waters

To take breathing lessons

For whatever comes

In the next hour

And forever,

Cherishing each moment

And the way

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Inés Castellano on Unsplash

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