HAITI

HAITI

"WHY GIVE THANKS TO GOD?

BECAUSE WE ARE HERE," FATHER TOUSSAINT SAID.

"WHAT HAPPENED IS THE WILL OF GOD.

WE ARE IN THE HANDS OF GOD NOW."

(HEARD AT A MASS IN HAITI AFTER THE QUAKE)

DON’T GIVE PIOUS PABULUM

TO SURVIVORS

OF EARTHQUAKES

FLOODS

FIRES

PARENTS OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS

THE LOST AND LONELY

THAT GOD IS SOMEHOW BLESSING THEM

WITH THAT MISFORTUNE

WHAT IMAGE DO WE HAVE OF GOD

WHO TREATS HIS CHILDREN THUSLY

IF HE WAS A PHYSICAL PARENT

WE’D TAKE AWAY HIS CHILDREN

CHARGE HIM WITH CRUELTY

IN THE FACE OF UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY

WE SHOULD BE MUTE

TO HEAR GOD CRY

THEN WORK LIKE HELL

TO MAKE

HELL

HEAVEN

FRANK A VOLLMER

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HAITI.doc

HAGAR

HAGAR

I DO NOT KNOW IF HAGAR

WAS SINNER

OR SAINT

CERTAINLY

ABRAM

AND SARAI

WEREN’T

MOST LIKELY

LIKE MOST OF US

THEY WERE

BOTH

I DO KNOW SHE WAS AN ABUSED WOMAN

WITHOUT HER CONSENT

SHE WAS A WOMB FOR ABRAM’S SEED

SHE WAS A SLAVE

A WALKING TOOL

HER OPINION DIDN’T COUNT

LIFTED OUT OF ANONYMITY

SHE STRUTTED

IN HER NEW IMPORTANCE

DISPLEASING HER MISTRESS

SARAI TREATED HER SO HARSHLY

SHE RAN AWAY

THE LORD FOUND HER NEAR WATER

THE LORD ALWAYS FINDS US IN WATER

I HAVE HEARD YOUR CRY

THE CHILD’S WHIMPER

YOU WILL NAME HIM ISHMAEL

MEANING

THE LORD WILL HEAR

HAGAR SAID

I WILL CALL YOU

EL-ROI

FOR I HAVE SEEN GOD

YET I LIVE

AT GOD’S REQUEST

SHE RETURNED TO SERVITUDE

TO RAISE HER SON

FOURTEEN YEARS LATER

SARAH’S ISAAC WAS BORN

HER JOY

HER LAUGHTER

BUT TROUBLE STARTED AGAIN

THERE WAS JEALOUSY

BETWEEN THE TWO WOMEN

SO HAGAR GIVEN

BREAD AND WATER

WAS EXILED

WHEN THE WATER WAS GONE

SHE PLACED THE CHILD UNDER A BUSH

SO SHE WOULD NOT HEAR ITS DEATH CRIES

BUT GOD HEARD

THE CRIES OF THE CHILD

THE SOBS OF THE MOTHER

BROUGHT WATER

HAGAR THOUGHT

NO MATTER

IF THE WORLD BRINGS ME LOW

OR MY OWN BEHAVIOR DOES

GOD DOES HEAR MY CRIES

SHE PRAYED

I LOVE THE LORD

FOR HE HEARD

MY VOICE

HE HEARD

MY CRY FOR MERCY

JUST AS I AM

HE BROUGHT ME WATER

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GOD’S WORLD

GOD’S WORLD

I SOMETIMES WONDER

DO WE PRACTICE RELIGION

BECAUSE WE BELIEVE

OR BECAUSE

IT MAKES US RESPECTABLE

WE BELIEVE WITH RELIGIOUS FERVOR

THAT WE SHOULDN’T HELP THE HOMELESS

ESPECIALLY THOSE SCARRED BY WAR

WHICH WAR

WE CHEERED THEM WHEN THEY WENT

OR HELP SINGLE PARENTS

BY DIVORCE

WAR

DEATH

THEY’RE NOT WORTHY

BECAUSE THEY ARE NEEDY

TAX THE POOR

EXCUSE THE WEALTHY

MAKE RETIREMENT A HORROR

NOT A PEACEFUL SUNSET

I AM REMINDED

OF AN INCIDENT

WHICH HAPPENED IN NEWFOUNDLAND

MY MOTHER’S BIRTHPLACE

THE FISHING WAS BAD

THE OWNERS OF THE FISHING FLEET

PETITIONED THE AUTHORITIES

TO CUT THE WORKERS WAGES

THEIR REPLY WAS NO

DO YOU INCREASE THEIR WAGES

IN GOOD TIMES

OR CUT YOUR OWN WAGES

WITH THE WORKERS

ECHOES OF MODERN TIMES

WORKERS ASKED TO CUT WAGES

CEOS MAKE MILLIONS

IF WE PROTEST

WE’RE TOLD IT’S SOME KIND OF ISM

SOME KIND OF CLASS WARFARE

I DON’T THINK A HUNGRY MAN CARES

GOD CALLS HIMSELF

FATHER OF THE POOR

HE RECOGNIZES OUR TENDENCY

TO IMPOVERISH ALL BUT US

HE RECOGNIZES THIS TENDENCY OF OURS

WHEN HE SAYS

THE POOR ARE ALWAYS WITH YOU

IS SUCH A WORLD GOD’S PLAN

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GOD’S WORLD.doc

GOD’S PLAN

GOD’S PLAN

I CAME HOME

ONE NIGHT

LATE FROM WORK

TO FIND ONE OF MY CHILDREN

WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK

THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED

NOT WANTING TO GO TO SLEEP

CRYING

I HADN’T BEEN HOME

TO GO THROUGH THE RITUAL

OF EXORCISING

THE DEMON

THE GOODNIGHT KISS

AFTER WHICH HE WENT RIGHT TO SLEEP

I HAD NO MAGIC POWERS

EXCEPT THE TITLE OF PARENT

AND PARENTS

WINDUP TOYS

REPLACE BATTERIES

FLY KITES

BAIT HOOKS

MEND BROKEN HEARTS

SOOTHE SCRAPPED KNEES

THERE WAS A BOAT

IN THE MIDST

OF A TURBULENT SEA

THE SAILORS WERE AFRAID

OF BEING SWAMPED

SO THEY WENT TO JESUS

ASLEEP

ON A PILLOW

IN THE REAR OF THE BOAT

LIKE CHILDREN

AFRAID OF THE DARK

CRIED

ABBA

FATHER

FIX THE WEATHER

THE SERMON USUALLY PREACHED

ON THIS STORY

IS THAT JESUS

WILL TAKE CARE OF US

I AM REMINDED

OF THE JEW

ON THE WAY TO THE CHAMBER

TELLING HIS CHILDREN

IT WILL BE ALRIGHT

A HOT SHOWER

A WARM MEAL

DID GOD FAIL THEM

OR THE HUNGRY

THROUGH OUT THE WORLD

IS GOD FAILING THEM

OR IS IT WE

WHO ARE THWARTING

GOD’S PLAN

DO NOT THE NEEDS

OF THE POOR

THE UNDERCLASS

HAVE PRIORITY

OVER THE WANTS

OF THE RICH

THE PRIVILEGED

ARE WE NOT TASKED

BY GOD’S PLAN

TO WORK FOR A WORLD

WHERE A MAN’S GREATEST WORRY

IS CHASING DEMONS

FROM UNDER THE BED

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GOD’S PLAN.doc

GOD BE IN OUR HEAD

A BLESSING

LET US BEGIN

AS WE BEGIN ALL THINGS

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER

THE SON

THE HOLY SPIRIT

AMEN

JESUS SAID

WHERE TWO OR THREE

ARE

GATHERED IN MY NAME

THERE I AM

AMONG THEM

THEN THIS MUST BE

A HOLY PEOPLE

A HOLY PLACE

AND TO THIS HOLY PLACE

WE INVITE

THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

THEY ARE ALREADY HERE

THEY HAVE NEVER LEFT

AMONG THAT COMMUNITY

ARE ALL OUR LOVED ONES

WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE

ON THIS HOLY ASSEMBLY

I ASK A BLESSING

ON OUR FOOD

ON OURSELVES

ASKING

PLEADING

THAT

GOD BE IN OUR HEAD,

AND IN OUR UNDERSTANDING;

GOD BE IN OUR EYES,

AND IN OUR LOOKING;

GOD BE IN OUR MOUTH,

AND IN OUR SPEAKING;

GOD BE IN OUR HEART,

AND IN OUR THINKING;

GOD BE AT OUR END,

AND AT OUR DEPARTING

GOD BE WITH US

MORNING

NOON

EVENING

AND THROUGH THE NIGHT

GOD BE WITH US

GOD BE ALWAYS WITH US

AND WITH OUR ABSENT

BROTHERS

AND SISTERS

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GOD BE IN OUR HEAD.docx

GARGOYLE

FROM: SONGS FOR A FRIEND GARGOYLE

GARGOYLE HOWLING IN THE WIND

SPEWING WATER AND WITH EYE DISTENDED

SCOWLING

WHAT AGONY OF ARTIST DRONE THE CHISEL

WHAT INJUSTICE BORNE WITHOUT HOPE OF REMEDY

HOW MANY MEN ARE GARGOYLE MADE

BY FORCES OUT OF THEIR CONTROL

BY WAR BY RACE BY POVERTY

CONTINUAL NOISE IN A CROWDED ROOM

CHISELS CARVING PAIN

PRECARIOUSLY PERCHED THE GARGOYLE SITS

IN THE RAIN SPEWING PAIN

AND WITH EYE DISTENDED

SEARCHES FOR THE SUN

Frank a vollmer

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GARGOYLE.doc

GIFTS

GIFTS

PERHAPS AT BIRTH

OR AT CONCEPTION

FUSED INTO OUR BEING

BY OUR PARENT’S PASSION

THE GIFT OF WHO WE ARE

THE UNIQUE GIFT OF WHO WE ARE

DIFFERENT AS SNOWFLAKES

ALIKE LIKE SNOW

SHARING HUMANITY’S STORY

REACTING TO IT

BY THE USE

MISUSE

OR LACK OF USE

OF WHO WE ARE

TOGETHER

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

TOGETHER

WE ARE THE VESSEL OF HIS LOVE

WHICH GIVES US UNION

WHICH GIVES US FREEDOM

TO BE THE GIFT

OF WHO WE ARE

THAT UNIQUE PERSON

FORMED AT BIRTH

OR AT CONCEPTION

EACH ONE

SENT FORTH

WITH THESE WORDS

GO MY CHILD

IN YOU

I AM WELL PLEASED

Frank a vollmer

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GETTING YOUNGER

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

GETTING YOUNGER.doc

getting religion

GETTING RELIGION

MY DOG IS GETTING RELIGION

HE ATE THE BABY JESUS OUT OF THE MANGER

THE SHEPHERDS WERE TENDING THEIR SHEEP

THE WISE MEN WERE LOOKING FOR A STAR

MARY AND JOSEPH FELL OVER IN AWE

JESUS WENT DOWN THE DOG’S GULLET

I LOOKED FOE CHANGES

IN MY POOCH’S BEHAVIOR

SAW NONE

HE STILL SHED

SLOBBERED HIS WATER

NEEDED TO BE WALKED

WHERE HE SALUTED EVERY TREE AS USUAL

BUT THEN HE DIDN’T HAVE TO LEARN

HOW TO BE TRUSTWORTHY

AND FAITHFUL

A FOLK LEGEND

SAYS

THAT A DOG’S LIFE IS SHORT

BECAUSE EVERYONE LIVES LONG ENOUGH

TO BECOME LOYAL AND TRUSTWORTHY

IF THEY TRY

DOGS LEARN FASTER

IN FACT

A COMMON NAME FOR DOGS

USED TO BE

FIDO

LATIN FOR I TRUST

GOD HAS BEEN CALLED

THE HOUND FROM HEAVEN

HE WILL PURSUE YOU

TIRELESSLY

TO LAY AT YOUR FEET

THE BABY JESUS

THAT HE MAY BECOME

YOURS

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GETTING RELIGION.doc

galatians

GALATIANS

I WOULDN’T INVITE HIM TO MY PARTY

PAUL I MEAN

I WOULDN’T INVITE HIM TO MY PARTY

I’D GROW WEARY

OF ALWAYS IN YOUR FACE CONFRONTATION

OF ALWAYS BEING RIGHT

MY SELF

I LIKE HEROES

WITH WEAKNESS

I

CAN IDENTIFY WITH THEM

SO I WONDER

DID THE OTHER APOSTLES

WHEN ALL THE T’S WERE CROSSED

AND ALL THE I’S WERE DOTTED

DID THE HUMBLE FISHERMEN

SAY TO THE LEARNED SCHOLAR

REMEMBER THE POOR

IF WE FORGET THE POOR

THEN ALL OUR SCHOLARSHIP

IS NOTHING

BUT A RESOUNDING GONG

OR A CLANGING CYMBAL

REMEMBER THE POOR

FRANK A VOLLMER

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GALATIANS.doc