Answering Unasked Questions

See Christ born. Cold air stingsThe orphan's blood red skin.See Christ grow. Dodging home,Kids sleep in detention. See Christ weep. Full of drink,She grieves alone again. See Christ die. Hands and feetShot. If they'd moved an inch-See Christ age. Put your handOn the lines time carved in.

Thin walls of plastic dam a paradox.The thundering of a summer rain,The reprieve from drought's painA cascade's turbulent crash,And the ocean's teasing splashYet you take a sip---just glad it's cold.

I read about heroes who "dazzle",When I come home frazzled.I see doors fly off with a "BOOM"-muffled shouting outside my room.I read fights with an "OOMPH",As shouts get louder and cruel.I want fixes in a "poof",But he leaves, aloof.I read about happy endings in a "snap",While tense hours elapse.Are there enough comics to read,When life goes "splat"?

a master weaver accidentally uncovers the dark lie woven into her family’s history as she takes on her greatest failing the silkies “blessed them”- her great great grandfather stole the silkie’s blessing by forcing her on land and demanded that she bless them. she died and cursed them afterward vera- proud, overweeningly vanity first sign of trouble- tapestry ends up wrong, seems to be…

a pitch-black nightfor the star to shine the continuing echoof a tune sung long ago criss-crossed trackswalking the same path

“I hate frauds. I hate people who aren’t comfortable with themselves.” -Tyler, the Creator Living is difficult; it’s hard to be So, spineless, I ooze like Oobleck Filling every crevice and cranny And people pounded me into shape The mold is comfort, a place with no conflict Being molded is easy, just set and freeze I amuse the crowd with my jiggling dance When they poke and jeer, it’s not…

Do I have to know just yet? That’s a multiple-choice question And I need all the words I can get I can list traits, but those don’t mention My history, perspective, or any values That I can explain with time restrictions Because that’s only a hint of the real you It’s hard to understand me without real study So how to explain with only a minute or two? The second hand moves toward the…

Threads unraveling, My mind frays, stressed taut by thoughts— It snaps suddenly

Stars slowly fade in the inky black sky, Flames blazing orange and red on the horizon. They brighten the dark, eclipsing the moon’s light. Burning gold, the sun sets fire to a new day. Green hills are drenched in a honey hue. The sun’s red embers glow, cooling. Its soft shine diffuses through pink clouds, And the sky is blanketed in night again Some things repeat, but never truly grow old

My branches shade the sky, a reprieve in harsh sunlight Roots writhe and slither in the loamy soil, grasping the earth Rings upon rings etch time into my very core, marking every hurt And bark armors my trunk, furrowed by good and ill times Despite my thick limbs, hanging heavy with age, And a full head of leaves that only grow higher, I know that when rain falls and the sky strikes with…

The woman streaks her face with blood as she wipes away her tears. She picks and pulls at the scratchy wool covering her baby soft flesh, but the man (her husband, but the word sounded strange) jerks her along. They can’t pause for even a second. Plush green grass dries into prickly thorns the further they go. The flaming sword’s heat scalds their back as they make their final exit, their shame…

I seek God my Refuge when fleeing Satan the outcast.* Joking with friends, I eye the person on the periphery. I move closer into the crowd’s center. I seek God my Strength when tempted by Satan the weak. Her sagging face, heavy with disappointment, falls when I burden her with “It’s not that deep”. I seek God the Beautiful, turning away from Satan the awful. The body is whipped, broken, the…

I grope blindly at the next slick handhold, resisting. Doubt calls like a siren. I shouldn’t, but I look behind me At the waves churning with mistakes, a blood red sea. Pebbles cascade down. I hang between sea and summit, vacillating The mountain chooses for me. I stretch upward But tumble down into the air as the rocks quake. I freefall, soar- the choice is no longer mine to make Even if…

I had my penultimate counseling session in January. It would have been my last, but I insisted we needed to do more to celebrate. “Where’s the confetti? The cake?” I said in faux outrage. Smiling, I set an appointment for next month (February 2nd at 2 pm) and waved goodbye. Three years ago, this joy would have seemed impossible, even inauthentic. But through prayer, counseling, and healthy…

Bracing tight and preparing for a crash, Has never stopped me from breaking on impact. People blur past the driver’s window as I’m battered by wind gusts, Inky smoke darkens the sky; I have no options left to exhaust. Finger by finger, I release the steering wheel Rubber’s acrid smell burns my nose as tires squeal, Gritty dust obscures the windshield, but I don’t have to see Like always,…

Only in the still water can I see my reflection So I toss in stones and the ripples destroy The image of a soul scarred by rejection. Stones skip and stir the brook’s babbling. The gurgling stream builds in volume and speed Until even thought is drowned in turbulent rushing. Deep calls unto deep- the flood overtakes me. All I can hear are the rapids crashing over land I sink into the din…

To find a new truth is sweeter than sugar. Going from source to source, I gather goods, Like a bee buzzing in search of nectar But this search can bring the bitter sting Of heartache, loss and grief; all the sorrow life can bring. But knowledge, like honey, can cure With a gleaming, golden touch I gingerly apply wisdom Rubbing the wound with a gentle brush And bring comfort from what…