-
as i lay down for the transition into a
difficult sleep, i notice the shimmer of
a slight convex on the surface of my
ceiling fan winking with each rotation,

drawing my attention away from visions
of to—day as i attempt to erase them with
heavy sore blinks, pouring tears into

the fires of the immediate past, knowing  
all too well they will steam back into the
clouds that return for tomorrow's rain—

(you just gotta love the water cycle)

i re-imagine it as the incredulous stare of
a dolphin or maybe a sting ray lost in the
oceans of eternity, bereft of any suitable
media to push it's useless fins against

my lids slide downward to dismiss its fate
because my place is somewhat above their
high water mark, being fortunate enough
not to have drowned within such depths—

yet this lingers to mind as the last image
of the evening, blinking shut the thought
of some creature leering down at me with
its one envious eye...




"a glance between waterlines"
© 2020 by Seranaea Jones
all rights reserved

A Ball works its way downstairs
through steady staccato beats,

airborne and then plunging until
banking against the baluster
and then over the edge,

bouncing hard from the sooner
than expected change in height
from floor to wall, it is then

Snatched from the air mid-flight
by the jaws of a Canine, a
quick and limber ball-stopper

that runs outside with the ball in
mouth, it then notices a shadow
casting over his own and is

Snapped up by the jaws of a
Velociraptor that just happened
to wander by.

Canine in mouth holding a ball in
its jaws, it runs across the street
and into a field through loose dirt,
as while in mid-stride it is

Yanked downward by an
enormous Ant-Lion—

that now holds a ball snatched up by the jaws
of a dog that was snapped up by the jaws
of a lizard which was yanked down by the jaws
of an insect that in turn was
Swallowed
by
      The Earth,

which is, all in all—
a Ball, after
                    ALL...



"captured events"
© 2020 by Seranaea Jones
all rights reserved

-

i want to reach up into a clear
night's sky and gently pick the
moon out from the darkness
between forefinger and thumb

but when ?
and what shape ??
such a chameleon !!!

shall i do this in a crescent
phase to see if the contour will
fit atop the periphery of my thumbnail

or perhaps wait for the full glory of
its radiance, to roll it between the
palms of my hands and feel the
illumination of it upon
the skin of my
cheeks
?

Yes

to feel the coarsen texture
of tiny mountains

and to see for myself
what lies upon its shy
hidden face

but as i reach skyward,
my intellection hesitates

watching how it confidently
sails with the stars—

having pulled it down from
its heavenly perch,

and

not knowing for certain
how to put it back...



"to hold a celestial being"
© 2020 by Seranaea Jones
all rights reserved

-

she laid there on the carpet
like a fuzzy brown pillow
i could see her mid-mass
slowly rise and fall

small twitchings of her paws
caught my eye as she began
running in a yard of dreams,
expressing her excitement for 
                    it

a rear leg jerks followed by another
but they never seem to coordinate,
all the same i know she dogtrots
quickly in her vast green parcel

i think now her goal has just
been reached, her legs are
straight and she is softly
barking muted "yes"s
through her nostrils—

her tail wags significantly,
dissipating quietly vented
puppy treats...



"sleep dog"
© 2020 by Seranaea Jones
all rights reserved

.

Why should I love you,
if you don't look at me?
Why should I write for you,
if you don't read my book?

How can I pen poetry,
if you don't inspire me?
How can I survive here,
if you don't support me?

You don't have to lie to me
to make me happy only
Do something for me
what you can do really!

I'm not asking of you
Just appreciate my thoughts,
I don't want compliments
Just read my words as well!

What's wrong if I'm poor?
What's my fault if I'm black?
You can close all the doors
I request you, read my work!

This was written in 1998 by my daughter as a comparative study in her 11th grade English class. Her instructor said it was the best piece she had ever received in the thirty some years of teaching.
-------------------------------------------------------­-----------------------
Beowulf or Christ?

by
Kristen Stevens

Two Standards are raised on the field of battle. The armies rush forward knowing there can be no middle ground, no halfway assault. Each knows only one can leave the battlefield the victor. In the epic tale of Beowulf , good and evil clash in the forms of Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon.

Beowulf journeys to Herot in order to free King Hrothgar’s kingdom from the grip of the monster Grendel. Beowulf is a problem solver and Grendel is the problem. “The monster’s thoughts were as quick as his…claws: He…snatched up thirty men, smashed them…and ran out with their bodies” (119-122) Beowulf portrays Christ. He leaves his home for one purpose; to withstand evil. Christ left Heaven and went out into the wilderness to withstand the devil’s temptation. Beowulf and Christ both wrestle with the dark forces but in different ways. Beowulf used his hands “That mighty protector of men meant to hold the monster til its life leaped out”(791-792). Christ uses scripture to beat back His opponent.

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God (Duet. 8:3).

Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Duet. 6:16).

Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only (Duet. 6:13).


Neither opponent could break free without losing something.

Beowulf and Christ are both more than human. Beowulf has phenomenal strength and Christ is God’s son. Christ “came to save the world” (John 3:18). Beowulf leaves his home of comfort and peace to save his neighbors. “Beowulf…heard how Grendel filled nights with the horror…proclaiming that he’d go to …Hrothgar”(194-200). No man alive could match Beowulf and no man can ever match Christ.

Both of them go through a change. Each is “baptized”. Beowulf is baptized twice: once, when he jumps in the lake and once again by fire. When he comes out of the lake he is a changed man. He initially goes for fame but not the reason anymore when he heads home. “So…proved myself…guarding God’s gracious gift” (2177-2181). He is baptized the second time by fire from the dragon’s mouth. The first baptism is a wash or a cleansing. The second is a purifier. Fire refines. Beowulf is refined into a better man for eternity when he fights his last battle. “Beowulf fell back; its breath flared and he suffered, wrapped around in swirling flames” (2593-2595). Christ was baptized so that He could begin His work on Earth. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John” (Mat. 3:13). Before Beowulf’s baptism people see him as just a great man, but after people see him as a king. Christ was just a carpenter’s son, until he was baptized and became the King of Kings.

To compare Beowulf and Christ’s last battles, you have to look at what they were fighting. Beowulf fights the dragon. The dragon symbolizes death and our own reluctance to die. “The gold and jewel she had guarded for so long could not bring him pleasure much longer” (2239-2240). Dying means man has to leave behind all his material wealth. Beowulf is old when he fights the dragon. He is coming close to his death and it frightens him. He wants to protect his people. He is willing to lay down his life for them. Just like Christ laid down his life to save us from our dragon. When faced with death, Beowulf and Christ rise above human expectations. Beowulf defeats death - he killed the dragon. Christ overcame death and rose three days later. Both act as an intermediary between danger and their people. Beowulf stands before the dragon. He blocks the path to his people. Christ stands between humans and God. Through Him God sees us as pure. Christ blocks the judgment that mankind deserves.

The last similarity between Beowulf and Christ is what happened after their deaths. After Christ died and rose, God’s chosen people went into a decline. They rejected Him and brought misery upon themselves. For two centuries they were persecuted by Rome. For two millennia they have been shoved aside and animated many times. Beowulf’s people took the treasure and the curse that came with it. “The spell…solemnly laid…was meant to last…Whoever stole their jewels…would be cursed” (3068-3070). Beowulf’s people have misery awaiting them.

As the army retreats, their brave general having fallen, they know they have won. The cost is great, but it had to be paid. Even today the battle rages on and the war will not end until the last enemy falls. Beowulf and Christ, both paid the price for their people’s protection and freedom. The enemy exacted its toll, but it was not enough. The hero and the Savior live on today.