More Haiku for you

On July 2, 2012July 2, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Prayers & Liturgy, Waxing PoeticLeave a comment

Below is the universal symbol for Longing in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja

Where else should I be,

but in this sacred presence;

to find my way here?

Once you did find me,

a broken, tear-sodden wretch;

and still you loved me.

One thing I have seen,

an onomatopoeia

has brandished this scene.

Once upon a time,

there shines a glittering light,

then and now and then.

When night is falling

into day from night before,

day has truly come.

Feed me on your flesh,

nourish’d from still deeper veins

and my soul starves not.

Still strings vibrating,

filling the air with sad songs,

and still we’re singing.

I can see your face,

time and space interrupted…

Can you see my face?

Mystic reverie

of clouds, unknowingly, pass.

Entranced in longing.

Satisfied am I

in a Eucharistic haze

of understanding.

Feast of quotidian delights

On June 25, 2012June 26, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Waxing Poetic1 Comment

Swollen palettes, satiated on mystery meat, bread and corn

husked beside the red swing-set after splish ‘n splash at noon.

Summer’s silly sprinkler dance anoints the day

with laughter fit for kings’ tables finely festoon’d.

Checkers played with pennies and monopoly pieces,

and, later, fake dollar bills found buried in the car seats.

Dinner table taunts from Mom and Auntie June

to remove from there our sad and smelly feet.

Now when moon and sun compete for sky,

I chuckle one last sigh before I hit the hay.

My buddy’s fresh, new farts remind me

how soon, in restful sleep, he’ll pay.

Sometimes, when pompous stars have fin’lly come and gone,

and, creeping on the ledge beside my window, at this height,

I wonder when, once more we might revel in

this feast of quotidian delights.

And the music played on…

On June 23, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Waxing Poetic2 Comments

The home of a neighbor of a close friend of ours recently burned to the ground. This is a tragedy of the worst kind for anyone. Moreover, it was a place that housed troubled adults. Although no lives were lost, a home and a hope, at least for a time, were.

Sing, little ones. Sing, for the music still plays on…

Strike up the chord from rubbled keys,

fill up your ears on scrawny knees,

push through your threadbare notes with ease,

let the music play on.

For good or ill the band still played,

Titanic-deck’d no songs fore-stayed,

reduced to ash and dust parade,

yet the music played on.

When all has shuttered up within,

let lonely hearts bestirred begin,

to harp, to trump, to violin,

for the music plays on.

And you, with your most treasured fears,

ensconced in burnt and golden tears,

a lilting note from God full cheers,

and the music played on.

“…and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God.” Isaiah 43:2-3

Look now, the broken road

On June 21, 2012June 22, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Waxing PoeticLeave a comment

A few months ago, as part of a Poetry Party on one of my favorite websites, www.abbeyofthearts.com, I submitted a poem entitled Look now, the blessed road. The theme? In praise of detours. It was received well enough that I thought of adding the yin to that yang. This latest poem illustrates the other part of our spiritual journey, that part full of dark uncertainty, ambiguity, doubt and even pain. Not as much fun to write about but necessary all the same…

Where footsteps once fell, proud and sure,

and met solid pavement with unwavering courage,

now there creeps, under guise of night

a pall, a weary and whimsical word of doubt.

The core of dreams once held aloft to sun-drenched hope

now hide, tucked in folds of fabric and crevice of stone.

Shiver and should, wither and would, careless and could;

the words of humbled discontent and self-abasement

foretell a morning not here, but night so stubborn.

Were it not for the taste of dust

one might mistake white for black, black for naught.

Sharp the shame of whispered this and promised that

when time stood still to salute my place.

Go, for now is not the time for talk or even willful gestures

betokening peace or grace or surety.

Let me drink from the bitter pond if only

to remember the taste of freedom.

Look away, don’t pretend that this one knows

or feels or sees as one should.

No, pray to the silent god, forgotten shadow of something greater.

But for all this, I can see someone lurking,

waiting, longing…for what, I do not know.

So then, here I will sit and wait for this well-known stranger

to, once again,

emerge.

June 21, 2012

Triangle poems V

On June 20, 2012June 20, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Waxing Poetic, Words...always wordsLeave a comment

Upstream

From the mouth of this river

I can see forever.

But just to see it

is not to know

the gifts it

can bring

me.

Downstream

From here I see what has past

from early dawn to dusk,

meandering stream

of hearts and minds

too broken

not to

feel.

Midstream

From here I can see the moon,

in all her bright glory.

But still I can’t see

what direction

this bright stream

will go

next.

Half-mast

Is it high or is it low?

Starboard bow or portside?

How are we to know

which direction

we are be’ng

led to

go?

Solitary

Here I sit in places, still,

with rhythms full of grace.

An occupied peace

and quiet voice

that summons

me to

stay.

Triangle Poems IV

On June 18, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Waxing Poetic1 Comment

Uprooted

Hands unseen reach from elsewhere

to dig and pull and strip

what little else remains

to be troubling

the places

where life

is.

Replanted

Hands unseen reach from elsewhere

to dig and hold and place

newness green and fit

into rows of

strong and new,

wondrous

life.

Piercèd Wonder

Breached against a sullen sky

one wicked afternoon,

sad eyes behold the

piercèd wonder.

He saw them

and he

wept.

Resignation

First it was impossible,

then it was just painful.

Now it’s both painful

impossible

and troubling,

but it’s

done.

Peace

A most illusory thing,

is this thing we call “peace.”

Too tightly grasp and

it leaves faster.

Let it go,

and it’s

yours.

prayer of the man without sight

On June 17, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Life of Rob, Waxing PoeticLeave a comment

So it is now to be, Lord,

that penance brings with it her own harder penance;

riddled throughout with pain, sweetly nuanced

with character like wine, red and melancholy and ripe?

Forsworn am I from joy so privily gotten

that, nestled deep in shallow places,

this hollowed out heart hallway, designed for

good and light and sweet,

lies overwrought, undone.

Paint has pealed from walls of these plastered eyes

inured to seeing what not to see.

I wish eyes and heart were unconnected.

For then, might I see.

Lord, tear out seeing eyes and replace them with blind

if only to remind me of what it was to see;

and then, blindly, to rejoice.

Shine

On June 15, 2012June 14, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Prayers & Liturgy, Waxing PoeticLeave a comment

I’ve shared previously of my love for Christine Valters-Paintner’s wonderful website “Abbey of the Arts”: http://abbeyofthearts.com/

This poem represents my contribution to her latest Poetry Party. Come, join in the fun!

Shine, like the brightness of one’s forehead

Where things thought become things seen.

Shine, like the eyes of a child

Newly opened to a world of worlds.

Shine, like rays of heat

From the sidewalk of our common contentments.

Shine out like shook foil

As Hopkins reminds us.

Shine, like our righteousness at noonday

As the prophet reminds us.

Shine, where all else

Has refused such invitation.

Shine, until to shine

Is all that is either possible or necessary.

Shine, as the one before us

Shines.

Haiku prayers

On June 13, 2012June 13, 2012 By robertalanrifeIn Prayers & Liturgy, Waxing PoeticLeave a comment

The contemplative, Japanese poetic form of Haiku is one of many ways to seek inner solitude by way of simple, syllabic word constructions. They were designed to be composed and penned quickly, easily and deeply and then…tossed away like brittle leaves in an autumn breeze. There, they are caught by other breezes and float upward to God. The 5,7, 5 pattern is quite enjoyable and easy to learn. Try it and share some of your own.