Truth

It’s getting hard to distinguish fact from fiction these days as everyone has an opinion that they consider to be gospel truth. combine that with the rise of fact-checkers that makes one doubt every word published on social media and truth seems like a far away fairy-tale, unattainable in this life. But truth is attainable even if some insidious forces are intent on keeping it at bay or disguising it as a monster so we cling to falsehoods that dress in style. this poem is inspired by the search for truth in a world that will do anything to convince us to ignore it.

I stare into the void

And truth stares back

I turn around to see

But I am there alone

The truth that frightens me

The truth that excites me

I am where I am

Because I’m staring at the truth

Who with piercing eyes and a wild smile

Stares gently back at me.

Still Waiting

We’re arriving at a full year of living in a pandemic with a winter that matches our reality of being frozen in time. For a full year, we have been unable to meet with friends, to see our grandparents or our grandchildren. We are tired of being cooped up, tired of the year inflicting challenge upon challenge, and even now, we can’t see the end. But we’re getting there. To all those tired of waiting, to all those working to provide relief from this plague, this poem is for you.

The ice storm freezes

My life and my soul

Is there no escape,

No way to gain control?

Buffeted by winds

And assailed by disease

When will we arise

For a year we’ve been brought to our knees

We cry, we beg, we plead

To anyone who will listen

An endless pandemic followed by an endless winter

Where are our connections?

Those friends from a year ago

I miss them

And yet can I remember them?

These same four walls stare back

As sick of me as I am of them

We long to escape

Each from the other

And reunite with sister, friend, brother

I long to see the outside

To remember my friends

For months, for a year

I’ve prayed for the end

When will we arrive?

How long is the road?

Each new day brings load upon load

We’re tired, hungry, bruised and broke

Through a full planet’s cycle

We’ve watched our world choke

Suffocated, unable to breathe

Still holding on

But losing our strength

With weakened hands

We return to the breach

A year from hell

A winter to match

Waiting and hoping

For a spring

The new life sprouts

The winter melts away

And maybe, just maybe

We’ll live to see a Covid-free day.

Pearls Beneath the Snow

Hello friends,

I know it’s been awhile. I was exploring a different life path, and there wasn’t much time for the blog. I’m back now, though, and now, I’m a freelance writer. Feel free to contact me if you need any services such as copy-writing, content writing, or grant writing. Anyway, this poem is about finding where we are in the present moment, because the past is already gone and the future is unpromised and unknown.

Pearls Beneath the Snow

The sparkled landscape gleams

As if pearls lie under the snow

But if you dig for the light, it disappears

Where can I find that golden glitter?

Can I unbury the past and recover a memory?

No, that’s an illusion, the mind’s old tricks

What if I look to the future?

Will I see the shining road?

No, that’s some other place and time.

The light is here; Now I can see

But then… then I don’t know what I’ll be

Nostalgia for the past and hope for the future

Steals light from the present

Hope is now or it isn’t at all

We must act while we see the light

Not lost in memories or looking far ahead

For if we ignore the light we see

We bury our treasure

Like pearls beneath the snow

Leaving only the faintest glimmer

A hint of what once was.

DOUBLE FEATURE: The Son Rises and Celestial Lights

Here are the other two poems that were the fruit of my retreat. Both are songs of praise to my Lord and inspired by being in the midst of nature. Enjoy!

The Son Rises

The stillness of the pond

The bright hue of the blue jay

All nature rests on a single ray

The ray of hope

Sent by the Father

Revealed by the Son

Given to our hearts by the Spirit

Yes, the Three in One

Hope awaits us, the Lord has conquered the earth

He has freed us from the death which afflicts us from our birth

The Resurrection, the Way, the Truth, the Life

Rises above all earthly strife

Suffering will come

But ever brighter shines the ray

When the suffering will end

And the King will return on that final day

and Celestial Lights

Star light, star bright

How radiant the stars of night

Yet brighter still is the Son

Who lights the way even when day is done

Of the moon we have no need

If we are willing to let God lead

As the river follows its stream

We must join with the celestial team

The Triune Godhead, worshipped and adored

And the communion of saints who behold the Lord

Behold us, Lord, Your sons on earth

Whom you sanctified by Your birth

The wonders of Your creation offer you praise

Awaiting in hope the joy of that eternal day

Our Call to Arms

During my first silent retreat, I received many graces from God. As I prepare to leave for D.C. to fight for the right to life, I reflect on my calling. The priesthood, or indeed even the Christian life, is a lot like stepping onto the battlefield of the soul. But faith, hope, and charity is our armor to protect ourselves against the enemy and extend that protection to our brothers. For my brothers-in-arms here at seminary, remember your call.

Our Call to Arms

The river runs its course

Swift and undeterred

The Mighty, the Muddy

Propelled by the Word

Help us, O Lord, to learn the plans for us You set

So as the river we may be guided unto our destiny yet

The birds call forth their echoing song

Sweet music delivered to those who long

The birds, O Lord, sing Your sweet praise

Rescue us sinners from the haze

The darkness where we can’t see You Lord

Though You are ever near

Rescue us from those times where we turn away our ear

The clouds hover overhead

They have no fear, they have no dread

To float along carried by grace

And to give service to the chosen place

This is our desire Lord, Your sons made priests

Help us to save the greatest and the least

 

Liberty and Love (Nonfiction)

Ok, I’m breaking the formula and bringing some NONFICTION into the mix for an important even urgent cause. If you read nothing else today, read this. This is an important message for everyone.

Next week you will see some young people united in a march for a single cause: to protect life, to give a voice to those who have none. You may sit back on your warm sofa observing this march with a bit of skepticism, but I implore you to look past yourself. Ask why these people are spending hours or even days cramped on a bus. Why are they marching outside in the cold all day? What reason could they possibly have to put themselves through this? That reason is life. Our country and indeed many others is suffering from a terrible plague, and that plague is not just infanticide. It is the normalization, the legalization of infanticide. Our U.S. constitution promises to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” I’m sure I don’t have to tell you but posterity is a word that refers to all future generations. Every child you conceived, every child you intend to conceive, is protected by the blessings of liberty promised to them at the foundation of our country. As we move forward, I beg of you to choose life. Don’t let a mother’s or father’s unconditional love become a fairy tale to future and even current generations. Abortion is not normal in a moral or natural sense. It is only normal in a legal sense, but the laws have been unjust before. Less than a century ago, segregation was a normal and legal activity, though not a moral or natural one. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. invited suffering upon himself with civil disobedience in the hopes of normalizing moral behavior and ending racism, and while racism still plagues our country today, MLK’s efforts started a movement that shook the country to its core and changed things for the better. Let this be the year for our posterity, that they may get the right, not the privilege but the right to live and grow as members of this country as was promised to them and us by our forefathers. In a country that’s become divided and full of hate, let’s normalize Love. Shakespeare once wrote, “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks but bears it out even to the edge of doom. Some of you are in frightening situations, being a mother or father is more than I can imagine, but I can promise you that you are loved just as that child growing inside you is loved. You are beloved sons and daughters of your Creator, and He wants to share with you a little of that divine love, so cherish your children, seek help from places that have your best interests in your heart. In my line of work, I will never have the opportunity to raise children, to have my own little family, so I pray for you to endure the years together in love and happiness. We always hear don’t let your children grow up to be this or that, but I’d like to simplify that. Let your children grow up. Too many lives have been lost. Too many blind eyes have been turned. Too many voices have been silenced. Today I speak for them. I speak for you. I speak though I’ll be met with opposition from those who don’t understand. But know that my writing doesn’t come from a place of judgment but from a place of earnest love. I weep for all the children who will never see the light of day but I have hope for the future. May our posterity live long and prosper and bring light to our world. I’ll be praying for all of you. #prayforlife #prayforlove #prolife #marchforlife

The Nature of Grief

My cousin Claire had been on my mind a lot lately. She passed away earlier this year. She was such a pure soul and so full of light. I feel blessed to share in her love for writing, and I am finding that sometimes she’s my inspiration to keep writing. Here’s what I wrote at the time of her death. May you rest in peace, Claire. Our prayers and love are with you always.

When a special person dies
The heavens open up and tears rain from on high.
The angels are crying you see, because one more soul is there with them and one less person here with me.
We weep for the love we shared without end
We weep for the grave loss of a friend.
We weep because we’re scared, sad, unsure.
But we smile because we know her heart to be pure.
The pleasure of knowing comes with the cost of grief.
But in a brief moment, we find relief
For her suffering is done; a new life begun.
With heavy hearts and bowed heads, we bury our dead.
But the rain is a reminder of the rainbow ahead.
The angels send down their joyful cries
For one more soul has joined their kingdom in the sky.

Preparing for The Season (He is Coming)

As the Thanksgiving feast approaches, let’s remember to whom we owe our thanks. In the Catholic Church, today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King and close the doors on the year of mercy. We move into the year of justice as we start our advent, where we symbolically keep watch for the birth of Christ. To that end I’ve prepared a poem titled He Is Coming to remind us what we’re really waiting for on Christmas. All the presents, traditions, and banquets are an extension of the rejoicing we feel when our Savior is born.

He Is Coming

The sights, sounds and smells of the day

Bring thoughts of good cheer and family our way

But all the turkey at the feast

Can do nothing to sate Hunger, that growling beast

So we wander through the desert searching for the cause

To free us from the vice of Hunger’s claws

Week by week we watch and wait

With all the angels and each saint

Our Lord is coming. Our Lord is here.

From birth in the manger to our hearts ever near

Don’t despair nor grieve.

For the Lord our God will never leave.

It’s us who must amend our lives

To rise anew by the grace of Christ.

From our hunger he sets us free

And grants to his faithful the joy of eternity

Prepare your hearts, and pray to the Lord

Pray unceasing, never grow bored.

The star will point to His place of birth

The very moment our Lord descended to Earth.

Born of Mary, Virgin and Mother

To inherit the Kingdom for all Christians and brothers.

Advent is here. Christmas is on the way.

The Nativity will be celebrated with joy on that glorious day.

Come Sister Christian, Brother Gentile,

For our Savior sleeps gentle and mild.

Born in the lowliest state

Yet born to open the gates

To bring souls into heaven

And make his disciples like leaven

Leaven to raise up souls to the Most High

And to eliminate our fear to die

For death gives rise to new birth

A new creation in Heaven and on Earth

Be still my brothers, rest in His grace

For the presence of the Lord fills this holy place.

A whisper in the wind, a tugging in the heart.

Respond to Him now. He wants you to start.

The Word is with you

Receive Him in your heart.

For His advent is a beginning not an end

The first day of eternity to spend

In union with God and his saints

That glorious day we anxiously await

Spend time in prayer to the Father, Son, and Spirit Blest

And bear the seal of Christ on your breast

For the day is coming when we’ll face the test

And I pray that we may find eternal rest.

Memories Chapter 2

Hey guys! As promised, here’s a continuation of that short story. My chapters are shorter than in other works, but that just means more updates. I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. There will be a new poem for you when the Advent season starts. Click on the read more link for Chapter 1 if you missed it or just scroll down to the next post. Happy Reading!

Memories

I know I’ve given you a lot of poetry lately, so here’s another short story to mix it up. I’m experimenting with writing for a younger crowd. This is only the beginning, I have the rest of the story figured out, so if there’s interest, I’ll post in chapters to keep my blogs short enough to fit on the page. Now, here’s the first part of Memories:

“Wake up, Jake”

“Is it time for school?” Jake moaned.

“No, silly,” his mom replied. “It’s the first day of summer.”

With a start, Jake jumped out of bed and rushed out the door.

Jake and his friends have a tradition. On the first day of summer, the three of them start the adventures by camping out in the nearby woods. They climb trees, swim in the lake, and when night falls, they cook s’mores by the campfire. Everything was shaping up to be the best summer ever. Jake loved the outdoors. He loved the feel of grass between his toes. He loved swimming in the murky lake, and he didn’t even mind the pesky mosquitoes. As long as his best friends, Samantha and Ben were there, nothing could spoil the summer. Or so he thought. But that night began a new adventure for the trio, one filled with danger, and hardships, and a journey the three would never forget.

It all began when Sam noticed strange noises coming from deep within the woods.

Jake, filled with the spirit of summer encouraged the other two, “Let’s go investigate.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Ben cautiously asked.

“What are you afraid of, the boogeyman?” Sam teased.

Like all middle school boys, Ben couldn’t bear being called a chicken, so he gathered his courage and followed the other two.

After a long and tedious journey through the twisted woods, the three came upon a cave.

“This must be the place,” Sam guessed.

“G-guys, w-we should leave.” Ben warned.

Jake responded, “Come on Ben, don’t be such a scaredy-“

Just then, the three of them turned toward the cave and their eyes met with a pair of big, slitted red eyes. Emerging from the cave was a creature like nothing they had ever seen before. Its body largely resembled a coyote, but its face was like a dragon. The mere sight of the creature paralyzed the kids with fear.

“W-what is that thing” Ben quivered.

“I don’t know, but I vote we get as far away from it as possible” Jake agreed.

“I hope it’s not hungry,” Sam added as the three of them started their hasty retreat.

They dashed through the woods, kicking rocks behind them in a desperate attempt to slow the beast’s advance. As the trio ran, the trees blurred, the ground shook, and the colors seemed to fade. Soon afterward, Jake noticed the creature was gone. “That was a close one,” Jake sighed with relief. “Right, Sam, Ben? Sam? Ben? Sam! Ben!”

His friends had disappeared. Jake called out their names a searched for them. He turned over every rock, and started climbing trees for a better view of the forest. After hours of searching, he finally spotted a boy in the distance. Thinking it might be Ben, Jake rushed off in that direction, but when he finally caught up to the boy, Jake didn’t recognize him.

The boy was dressed in an old-fashioned pair of shorts. Jake thought they resembled the knickers pictured in his history book. The boy also wore a white button-down shirt and suspenders, and something that looked like a handkerchief hanging out of his collar. Jake recalled the term ascot. Choosing to ignore the strange clothes and focus on the more pressing issue, Jake questioned the boy, “Excuse me, have you seen a boy and a girl wandering around here?”

The boy didn’t answer.

“I said did you see anyone pass by here?”

The boy continued to ignore him. Frustrated, Jake waved his hand in front of the boy’s face. The boy remained still. A man dressed much like the boy, except for a pair of pants extending to his ankles, approached and asked if he saw anything.

“No suspicious activity to report, sir,” the boy replied eagerly.

“Not with our expert lookout on duty,” the man said with a smile and ruffled the boy’s hair.

Jake, who had spent the entire conversation standing between the two, realized he could not be seen and was free to explore the area. He looked around the campsite for his friends, and, finding no success went on a bit farther until he came to a cave. Upon seeing the cave, Jake was paralyzed with fright, as this was the cave where they first encountered that vicious beast, but an unexpected curiosity urged him to enter the cave. After a short battle between his wits and his curiosity, Jake reluctantly entered the cave. Immediately, he saw the coyote-like creature that nearly took his life. Suddenly, Jake heard a snapping noise from outside. The creature turned his head and revealed himself to be a normal coyote. The dragon face was no longer there. The creature seemed keen on investigating the noise, so it stalked its way of the cave and passed right through Jake. Wherever he was, Jake could not be seen heard, or touched, which made him invincible, but completely unable to interfere with anything. With this realization, Jake decided to go after the creature to see what had become of it.

Jake followed the creature through the forest and into his home town, to the antiques shop that had closed years ago due to a fire, but something wasn’t right. The building looked new, and the lights were on. Jake noticed an open sign in the window. Then, the beast broke through the window, and Jake saw the same boy from earlier with an old leather-bound book. The boy said something in a language Jake didn’t recognize and flames sprouted from the book along the floor and intro the nostrils of the coyote. The creatures face slowly morphed into the dragon-head from when the creature was pursuing Jake and his friends, and flames spread around the store. Jake tried to run, but there was a ring of fire surrounding him. The flames came closer and closer, and when they touched Jake, he closed his eyes and braced himself.

When he opened his eyes, he was back at his campsite with Sam and Ben, staring at a campfire.

“That must have been some nightmare,” Sam teased. “You were moaning and screaming like that creature was still after us.”

Upon hearing this Jake came to a sudden realization, “That was no dream. It was a memory.”