I'm Frightened: Poetry spiritual and social issues

Note titled changed to "I'm Frightened Of Atheists". Poem in progress 

Inhumanity disturbs me at a spiritual level. By spiritual level I mean the areas of life that involve relationships and our 'natural' responsibility with regard to those relationships.

We are 'spiritually' and 'naturally' bound to each other and the environment. To sin is to behave irresponsibly with regard to the relationships we interact with.

I am appalled at the callous treatment of human beings at the border. I could not help but recall the words I had heard from the pulpit many times from Matthew 25, read the entire passage here.  

"I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The spiritual responsibility we have regarding those we share the planet with is exposed in the words of Jesus. As a result of thinking of the events at the southern border I wrote the following poem.

I'm Frightened Of Atheists

I'm frightened…

not by people at the border

needing help and refuge.

I'm frightened by those who have hardened their hearts

and turn them away while

clutching laws to their breast,

repeating shibboleths, 

justifying the plugging of their ears,

the closing of their eyes

and ignoring of the tears.

I'm frightened

by those with hearts so dark

they cannot see God in rags with their 'spiritual eyes'...

fleeing, hungry, fearful
at the border gates in need of help.

Those people frighten me.

© 2018 David H. Roche

The Sunflowers Of August 2018

A few pictures of sunflowers produced by genetic information introduced to an environment of sunlight, soil, air, water and imagination. 

a production of 

Serendipity Studios

photography by David H. Roche

(C)'

s

Mysteries and Things: poetry

Mysteries and things,

"Being" and "Existence",

"I" "That" "It":

Who is "I"?

What is "It"?
"That!"

August 5, 2018:

Daylight is in the process of exchanging itself with dusk,

the afternoon breeze makes tall spindly sunflowers shimmy and shimmer 

in ever moving splotches of sunlight.

Old bones ache today

under blue skies and

"Being" identifies "Itself"

by the location of its pain

as afternoon and evening exchange colors

until there are no colors left

leaving behind only the Mystery of the "I"  

and the aching.

Poetry and photography by David H. Roche © 2018

Coffee and Crumbs: Poetry and photography

Coffee and Crumbs

After four days without coffee I made three mugs.

Four tablespoons of ground coffee,

six cups of water,

push the button.

Remembering the bag of bird seed bought yesterday

I fill a cup with seed and dried bread crumbs

to sprinkle in the yard.

A raven lands before I sit down inside,

a band of half-wild ducks arrive like a scourge of vacuum cleaners.

The seed and crumbs are gone

before the first mug is poured.

Hurry out with another cup of seed,

pour it in the grass,

hurry in,

fill a mug with coffee,

sit down,

sip carefully,

enjoy the taste with toast and butter,

watch through the window with a smile

as the horde of ducks

make the seed vanish before my eyes.

poetry and photography by David H. Roche

(C) 2018

Go Catch A Mouse: note to the cats on the porch (Poetry)

  

Go Catch A Mouse:
 note to the cats on the porch

All I can say is

"Go catch a mouse"

to the cats peering through the glass door…

The three cats come morning and evening and sit

looking through the glass until

I open the door

and pour food into their bowl 

but tonight I have to say:

"There's more in the morning

but no more tonight…

go catch a mouse.

I managed your food along with mine as good as I could.

It lasted almost until I could buy some more

and if you catch a mouse tonight tomorrow Social Security comes

and I can go to the store

and buy butter and chicken and cat food and bird seed …

I'm out of everything too."

( C)David H. Roche