Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Kid Gloves

“You see how those trees hug the shore. They didn’t wear kid gloves to do that. They grabbed on with everything they had. You’re going to have to deal with Bernard the same way.”

“How many times do I have to tell him to stop drinking? He’s like a misshapen piece of fired pottery that can no longer change.”

“Those trees look unchangeably misshapen to me as well. The problem is not every tree that grabbed the shore was able to hold on long enough for strong roots to develop.

“If Bernard doesn’t change he’ll fall off the shore.”

Linked to Carrot Ranch’s October 8 Flash Fiction Challenge where Charli Mills offers the them of “kid gloves” for these 99-word stories.

Swing

There's just one problem with a swing:
Its cyclic motion to and fro
Since we all know how it must go
And without purpose like a fling
Or sorry tune the mindless sing -
Emotional, but nothing new,
No clue of what one ought to do,
No hint of why we're anxious here.
Stay covered up with lust or fear
Or busy back and forth on cue.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the challenge is to use the word “swing” as one of the A rhymes in a décima where the rhyme pattern is ABBAACCDDC.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image — Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Resistance – Six Sentence Story

“Any God Who makes a difference, any God Who really matters, doesn’t need the path of least resistance. He shows His presence best by choosing the weak and broken, putting them in danger and then protecting them Himself should they accept His assignments.”

Waiting in the bomb shelter Jeremy was worried because he knew he was, like the others down there, broken beyond human repair. He worried that he would not accept or even recognize any such assignment should one be offered to him and then shamed when he realized that the honor was passed on to someone else.

Jeremy felt Rachel shivering next to him inside her blanket. He opened his blanket and wrapped it tightly around both of them, holding her close, wondering, after doing so, whether it was possible in this awesome reality they were caught up in to accept and fulfill an assignment without even knowing it.

Linked to Six Sentence Story where Denise offers the prompt word “resistance” to be used in a story of six sentences.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

One-Liner Wednesday – Like a Jew Voting for the Nazis

Your references to the laws in California and Virginia have convinced me that a Christian voting for the Democrats is like a Jew voting for the Nazis.
My comment on Mario Murillo’s post “This Election Is a Choice Between Good and Evil”, October 2, 2020

Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday.

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

Revival

I noticed on YouTube an excerpt from The Return on September 26th of Jonathan Cahn’s call for revival as a prophetic word to America. If you watch it, look for what he does with the pottery, notice the response of thunder and embrace the urgency of his appeal.

Jonathan Cahn, Prophetic Word to America

What I found impressive was Rabbi Cahn’s concern for lives that should matter, but lives that we have thrown away through our misguided, toxic self-righteousness.

And if you say, ‘black lives matter’, we agree, surely they do, but how do you say, ‘black lives matter’, and say nothing of all the black lives killed in this land before they could even breathe their first breath. How can you be silent before the shed blood of millions of black sons and daughters? How do you not protest all the abortion clinics strategically placed in black neighborhoods for the purpose of destroying black lives? None of these ones can speak the words, ‘black lives matter’, because their lives did not, but if they could, if they could speak, they would ask, ‘Why did our black lives not matter?”
Jonathan Cahn, The Return, September 26, 2020. Starting about 12:30 in the video linked above.

BLM and cross out – graffiti found in the forest preserve near Northbrook, Illinois.

Sunday – 2 PM

I worry now if I'll remember -
"Take a photo, 2 PM."
While wondering about November
I'll take those photos. I'll remember
Then post a few or all of them.

Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of photographing wherever we are within one hour after 2 PM on Sunday. I set the alarm on my phone.

Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. One of my poems, Narrow Trails, appeared in the October 2020 issue of Snakeskin 277. I am grateful to George Simmers for accepting it and thereby giving me something to report for the weekly smile besides the many walks this past week.

Sunday Walk 9 – Feast of Tabernacles

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 6:8 King James Version

The Feast of Tabernacles began last Friday evening, October 2nd. It continues until the evening of October 9th. Here is Jonathan Cahn’s service.

Jonathan Cahn, The Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

Sinach’s Way Maker is a song that I find myself singing quietly while on my walks. That is evidence to myself that it must be one of my favorites.

Sinach, Way Maker

I am a registered Democrat in Miami Beach, Florida. I voted for the President, Donald Trump, and I predict he will win on November 3rd. Then I predict he, along with the help of others, will drain this swamp.

I am grateful that the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court with a vote of 52 to 48.

Dusty Trail

The horse stopped. Bill saw the rattlesnake ahead of him. It was coiled ready to spring. Bill and the snake stared at each other waiting to see who would make the first move.

Bill had no fear of snakes. Indeed some people thought he was one himself especially with the crafty way he dealt with people.

The snake began acting strange. It uncurled itself. Instead of leaving in the brush it twisted itself into a circle and put its tail in its mouth.

That was all Bill needed to see. He pulled out his revolver and fired.

“Stupid snake.”

Linked to Carrot Ranch’s October 1 Flash Fiction Challenge where Charli Mills offers the theme of dusty trail for these 99-word stories.

Still – Holy Spirit

The only muse worth listening to,
The only One who even is,
Corrects us, guides us, leads us. His
Consuming fire will clean, renew
Transforming everything we do.
We sinners turn.  This living flame
Burns off the chaff.  The devil's blame
Becomes as nothing. We are still.
As falsehood breaks, each true word will
No longer be lukewarm, nor tame.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the challenge is to use the rhyme word “still” in the D part of the rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC. For another poem on the Holy Spirit see Mary Hood’s poem Holy Spirit and her observation that there’s a difference between the Greek muses and the Holy Spirit. I used to talk about “muses”, but given the Holy Spirit I see no need to hide Him behind some Greek myth.

Volume – Six Sentence Story

“The Good Spirit knows everything about you and he’s apt to forgive you but you have to submit to him and want it,” the ancient guru who lived only on air and was said to float about the temple high in the mountain explained.

I was still curious and so while seated at his feet, I asked him, “And what about the Bad Spirit?”

“Ah, the Bad Spirit knows a good deal about you as well but he’s only interested in what he can use as blackmail to keep your mouth shut.”

He didn’t seem to have anything more to reveal and I couldn’t think of anything more to ask him and so I lowered the volume of the sound of my breathing and I sat.

When the sun set he suddenly twisted his head unnaturally in my direction showing his burning eyes and steamy horns making me jump wishing I never risked the arduous climb up this mountain and wondering if I could find my way back down in the dark.

“So, in your current circumstances, boy, which one of those spirits do you think it’s now safer to serve?”

Linked to Six Sentence Stories where Denise offers the prompt word “volume” to use in the story. For another story about Satan, I highly recommend reading Zack and Zelda’s Church Nightmare (mostly fiction).