Becoming

To my daughter on her 13th birthday My daughter, my fire, my friend If God looked in my heart And saw, in the most precious chamber, All the silver desires Of who I wish could be my daughter, It would be you The same as you are now Right down to every whim Of sparkling...

Dirt Track

Under the back porch I made a dirt track for my cars The races started in the morning And the sound of thirty engines Filled the neighborhood No winners, no losers And every car crashed But no one broke down Earthworms and potato bugs Cheered and sometimes ran onto the track And every driver won...

The Prophets

featured image courtesy of Lorie Shaull, CC Oh Jesus!  The Prophets! We killed another. She was your daughter. He was your brother. He was a Black man (And somewhere still is Resurrected in that Beautiful body of his.) What he said: “We exist.” We stoned his head And said, “Don’t resist!” She was a child...

The Author of Love

featured image by scernea CC The Author of Love Is often misquoted By the lustful, judgey             worrisome, bloated Writing a song or printing a shirt Or cutting out hearts till our fingers hurt The Author of Love, His words on a meme, But a certain translation so it seems A language absent at Pentecost...

The Sun Is My Jacket

The sun is my jacket The wind is my hat, Instead of a scarf I carry a cat Mud for my shoes Speckled with ants, Butterfly wrist watch, Grass stains for pants Thick gloves of moss For climbing up rocks, And goldenrod pollen Makes the best socks Snake skin necktie If I need to dress...

Confederate Graves

Across this land are Confederate graves, But only the officers Not their slaves- Those are unmarked Beneath the trees Resurrected yearly In maple leaves   A Colonel’s grave is Barren and dry, His cold bronze effigy Stares at the sky- But still breathing, His slaves look down With the Autumn glow Of golden crowns  ...

Keep These Beautiful Things

(to my son on his 13th birthday) Sometimes when we grow up We leave the wrong parts of ourselves behind   Because it’s hard to know Which of the things we learn as children Will help us as men and women   So when you prepare your heart For the journey to who you’re meant...

Black History Month for a White Guy

This article was also published at Red Letter Christians, Feb. 2, 2019.  Click here! I am a white guy who gets excited about Black History Month.  Why?  Do black people need my help?  No. They are doing fine without me. They speak for themselves in every beautiful way through both word and action.  So who...

Beauty (for Isaacs Run)

Beauty is A dead leaf Stuck to my thigh After swimming in the creek   White foam Parting around the heels of My son, the Fairy Prince, At the top of the waterfall   My daughter wading Amber waters at her knees Red hair flying up Quilting together Late summer Yellowing greens   My wife...

Ultimate Sacrifice

The volunteer Who laid the wreath On your tombstone Said you “gave the ultimate sacrifice”   But you didn’t give it- You went in obedience   And your mother didn’t give it- She prayed to God the war would end Before anyone else had to die- And into her old age had nightmares Of you...