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Alan S Bailey Aug 2016
A toll rings loud and clear throughout the musty cellar,
Through the halls of the vast dungeon at night.
I wait for one of them to come down and speak
To me about the "others," the valued, the "wise,"
It's the same thing every year, this lonely life.
I hear a creak, must be nothing, I turn on the light,
Swear I saw a ghost, still nothing.
Vaguely, I've been searching for an answer to this riddle,
It will only take a few moments of your time
To sit there between the vagabond with the fiddle,
And the one who must be low as slime.
It's your call-I ask you-for your opinion,
You laugh in my face-if I seek your words-I'm a disgrace,
Riddled with handed down problems, no given grace,
A roaring of thunder, brew of secret ingredients,
From a distance I can still hear you laughing in my face,
Speaking magic spells of strange and creepy "enchantments,"
Even from afar, even from my un-chosen wife's place.
Steve Page Jul 2016
O Lord, my Saviour, my spirit rejoices in you, for you....
-
Oh, Jesus. This isn't as easy as I thought it would be.
Oh, my son, my child, my beloved child
- now my Saviour.
My whole being worships you, and yet
in my heart I still treasure those times when it was just you
and me.
Holding you close,
hearing your first words,
shepherding you
as you took your first steps,
watching over you,
binding your first scrapes - you were sooo adventurous;
it was always a challenge keeping you out of your father's workshop.
-
And now you watch over me.
-
-
Jesus, my heart still aches
when I recall your body arched
in pain, bleeding.
Your cries still haunt me.
It's hard to shake the image
of your lifeless body
wrapped in cloth and lying
- in a tomb.
-
Forgive me, dear son;
I almost lost my mind with grief.
I was blinded with my tears,
and in my fear
I didn't understand.
All I could feel
was the sword
piecing my very soul,
just as old Simeon promised.
-
And then,
when I saw you again,
whole, restored....
Oh how I loved to see that smile again, to feel
your arms around me once more, to hear
your laughter, to draw in
your warmth as we shared a meal,
just like we used to.
-
But you were taken again so soon.
-
I know you had to go, but
oh, how I missed you.
-
(Deep breath)
-
But I'll tell your story
- so many want to hear my story.
The boys promise to write it down,
but I'll still tell. It thrills me every time I tell it,
for how can written words capture you, your love, your presence.
-
-
You spoke of a gift.
Well, as you probably know, it arrived
right on time.
You said that if we waited here in Jerusalem,
we would be bathed in YOUR Holy Spirit.
And now I see.
I almost weep with joy when I hear
young John and the rest of your friends
speaking in your name.
-
I recognise your voice, you see,
I recognise your heart,
in their words.
It's -
it's just like you're still here.
Thank you for not leaving your old mum alone.
I'll see you soon,
my Jesus.
Steve Page Jul 2016
In the beginning, John revealed the light
and said, "Let men repent."
And John's Aunt Mary saw that was good.
-
And John declared to the crowds, "Behold
Sin is taken away by the Lamb of God."
And there was water
and over the water there was the Spirit
hovering;
heaven tore down, and Mary saw
that this was God.
And God was well pleased.
-
Then
Jesus called Andrew
Andrew called Simon
Jesus called Simon, Peter.
And there was evening and there was morning, a very full First Day.
-
Jesus called, "Follow me, Philip".
Philip saw the Law and the Prophets fulfilled.
Philip called Nathaniel
and after a bout of doubt
and a lesson routed in a fig tree
Nathaniel came to see
a teacher and his God and his King.
-
And there was faith
and the promise of a great adventure.
More than enough for the Second Day.
-
-
There was a wedding in Cana
and Mary nudged her son:
'The wine has finished
This - is - not - good.'
And Jesus said, 'Mum. Not now'.
-
And Mary said
'Listen to your mother.'
-
And Jesus sighed.
-
And Mary told the servants,
"Do whatever he tells you."
-
Then Jesus saw that it was no use to argue.
And he said, "let there be water".
And they rolled across the stone jars in front of him.
-
And Jesus said, "let there be wine".
And it was so - very - good.
-
And Mary smiled to herself,
thinking how Joseph would have loved this,
and whispered to Jesus:
'This just the start you know.'
And he did,
and it was.
-
And there was a Mother's faith
and there were gallons of glorious wine.
And Mary kept on smiling, so proud of her son
and of this start of his new-vintage Kingdom
with this original third day, rolled-stone, miracle.
-
And there was a party,
and singing
and there was much laughter,
and the Son danced
with his mother through the night.
-
There was evening and there was morning,
a Fine Third Day.
With thanks to Sam Isaacson for th original idea.
John 2:1 "On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,"
Elohim!
(I)

trusted friend… betrays
healing hands… pierced
holy teacher… silenced
and nailed to a cross
“Jesus of Nazareth
King of the Jews”
*
my son
died today



Elohim!
(II)

Heed my voice crying in the wilderness!
Do not abandon me in my anguish
But attend, and weep with me now!
for blood rage would not be subdued!
“His blood be on us!” they cried”
“And on our children!” they shouted


Shine your light of mercy on my soul!
I stumble through the bleak wasteland of grief,
blinded by infinite darkness!
for blood rage would not be subdued!
“His blood be on us!” they cried”
“And on our children!” they shouted


The righteous cry but does the Lord hear?
I call unto you as my son did cry
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
for blood rage would not be subdued!
“His blood be on us!” they cried”
“And on our children!” they shouted



Elohim!
(III)

Silently
He watches the sleeping woman,
in the unquiet repose known only to a grieving mother
she moans, “blood rage…powerless.. my son”
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani!”

Tears well in his eyes
As his heart is once again pierced

Gently
his hand brushes her forehead
the touch causing her to stir slightly
and cast it away as though a fleck of dust
dare intrude on her personal nightmare.
Kissing her cheeks, her eyes,
He whispers *“Mother!”
one of my final poems in Ave Maria.  Although Mary is the main character, I believe she represents so many mothers who have lost their sons, through war, execution, crime, suicide.  Would love to hear your  input
Sleep dear cousin, labor’s done
“God’s Grace” slumbers in your arms
Safe and warm and loved

*my pregnant womb flutters
or does it quake?
Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should
be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
4th in the "Ave Maria" series.
Hark! the Herald Angel!
bearing a message
a hint of a plan
a blessing from God
I am
deeply troubled


Hark! the Herald Angel!
detailing the plan
a baby, a kingdom,
a light for the world
‘tis mine
to decide


Hark! the Herald Angel!
departing in silence
God’s power is rested
Spirit enfolds
*my story
begins
This is the first of a series of "Ave Maria" poems.  Not intended to be religious or preachy, just the story from a teenage girl's perspective.
two women
matron and maiden
pregnant with divinity

carry sons
chosen to prepare a way
and establish a kingdom

carry sons
destined to baptize and to heal
and to die (one will rise)

but for today
matron and maiden
pregnant with divinity

delight in figs and tea
and weave soft blankets
and giggle with baby-time anticipation
this is my take on how it might have gone down for Mary and Elisabeth.  Mary being sent off to "help" her aged cousin with her pregnancy, because they did not know what else to do with her, and also to save her from possible stoning.  But I think that Elisabeth was the only one who really understood this young maiden.
oh my stars Jun 2016
She was always so angry at the world.
She saw all the beauty
And saw how the people destroyed it.
Her eyes were portals to the past;
Within her soul was the pain of a society,
A society that could have been
If we had not taken for granted
The reality
And speciality.
Originality
Was taken from us the moment
This world was born.
She saw that we were not a world of love
Anymore.
We were a world of hatred
And pain
And prejudice
And judgement.
She saw through the fallacy
We have created:
Our facebook walls are mere facades,
Disguising who we are
And hiding us in the blur of the stars
Of who we wish we were.
Soon there will be no people.
No emotions.
No relationships.
The only thing that will exist are machines
With vacant faces,
Taken over by a society that shouldn't have been.
JR Falk Jun 2016
You saved me.
You didn't need a mask to do so.
Yet when I see your eyes after a long day of crime
I see the pain you bear inside.
I will always kiss your pain away, baby.
And even though I'll never know the New York City skyline quite like you do,
I'll always stay nearby.
You don't need a web to keep me stuck on you.
Instead I'll try to keep your chin up until you finally can rest.
It might not be much, just know I'm doing my best.
I'm no hero myself, but I know I'm handling this the best I can,
and when you lay down beside me at the end of the night,
I'll kiss you.
I'll show you the tenderness you so desperately need, whether you admit it or not.
The scars on your body are the scars on my heart,
and I'll share your pain.
You are not doing this alone.
It is hard, but I am trying.
And I always will.
I'm not quite sure someone else could do this,
it's hard, I admit it.
But I'll always be here.
Partners in crime until the end of time.
What can I say?
Face it, tiger...
you just hit the jackpot.
12:27pm
6/7/2016

I might've tried a little too hard, but what can ya do when you're in love with spidey?
I will never wish to be dead
because , for the record ,
none of my previous wishes
ever came true
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