Through Love and Care

I went to the church and was blessed by the priest

Having long unconfessed thus declined Eucharist.

Singing hymns with great joy

My heart rose to share the evening mass

Filled with Love and Care.

It seems to me as we raise candles high

That the light does shine forth to give us a sign.

Good people rose from their pews

To shake hands with and smile upon each other

Giving Love and Care.

Heading home quiet streets with stores closed for the night

Hoping fam'lies of children all tucked warm and tight

Sweet dreaming of plumbing sugared delights

Cookies are brought from the neighbors to share

Receiving with grace so much Love and Care.

This day of forgiveness and spiritual lift

May move the remorseful to understand their blessed gifts.

Let us come awake and aware of our light

To live with each other with Love and Care.

Pounding The Pavement (for my Father)

Things remind me— Little things.

Sometimes

the simplest of sounds or

sights or a color of light

nudges a thought.

The time of day casts your shadow.

A word or flavor on the tip of my

tongue– suddenly you appear gazing

at me with your comments and the

sound of your voice reminds my ears of

how much they miss you.

I want to drop down and pound

the pavement with my fists till it

cracks open to release you and

bring you up from the dust,

bring you back to the world so

you can fix things again. And

I will stand there dutifully, happy

to hold a flashlight for you into the

dark night while you work.

Mom

You hand me a bowl full of chocolate pudding

With whipped cream and sit down with yours

in the big lazy chair. The image of

you remains in my head burned in

softly over the many years– a perpetual

Polaroid of your smile and the

bowl of some delightfully sweet

supply of dessert you hand me

the ice cream piled high with syrup and

scoops of whipped cream

and bananas and your smile in the

blue glow of the television. We share

the night and it occurs to me how

pleasant is the sound of your voice and

the big cold spoon of sweetness you give me

complete with sprinkles on top.