Category: poetry

  • Sonnet I Lazarus Saturday

    Tiz better to have lov’d & lost: so saidthe Bard when speaking of the heart’s romance.What would he say if God & man did danceAs friends til mortal man is stoppéd dead? Then God can weeping fall in mourner’s tranceWhile sisters, neighbors, pharisees, & allwill wonder at his healing advent’s stall:when but one touch restor’d…

  • Prelude. Holy Week Sonnets

    JMJ I try to get through a little more every year. So, once again, I will try to make the Holy Week Sonnet Cycle complete. Prelude My Lord, always majestic is thy name. No man may sing thy praises worthily & mould’ring – wanting words to hear & see is often in believers’ hearts thy…

  • Rising

    Did you learnbread at Mary’s kneeWere you theretoddling and gigglingas flour waswatered and kneadedleaven addedgluten formeddid she let you helphands washed and driedto play with doughin time to learnthe whole riteand to smell the breadroasted on the stoneas the neighbors allwaited their turnsat the fireflat breadsand braidedbrown and richor fancy and whitefor the Sabbathor more…

  • Throne of Judgement

    +JMJ+ Before this throneI will comefor judgementto hereyou daily call meI cannot but comeyour call is allI sleeping hear or waking here angels surroundsaints and blesseds watchmy sins must wafta stink to heavenand at this thronejudgement surely comes. still your faithful sheepround me kneelin calmness, graceand none recoilmy imposture you mustall of you mustsurelysee I…

  • Albion’s Blessed Curse

    Henry chose to downfall on his lustin twain and millions rent the churchtwain for where but one claimwas now one and all elsemillions for without Petereach in his own barque now rows his way. Henry’s daughters war and slayeach the other’s pawnsuntil one has wonand she unwedbut not unknownnow stands bestride the altar gatesome new…

  • Sonnet for Friday’s Dawn

    X – Peter Now Peter, liar, rock, Apostle, friend Here come I carefully to you: for pot & kettle are both black. May we be not That far by prayer each from the other’s end. The Priceless One betray’d by campfire hot: Your Galilean drawl just cant. Yet I Without a legal threat will try…

  • For late Thursday night

    IX – The GardenIn lunar brilliancy they walking showmid leafy branches’ budding scented bloom& grasses warmed in vernal sun now groomGethsemane, in paschal light aglow. We waiting here, he forward goes for roomTo falling, praying, moaning, sighing, bledTo sobbing, straining, weeping, sweating, redTill far away is heard the tramp of doom Apostles wake upon their…

  • A 2nd Sonnet for Thursday

    VIII – EucharistHe wash’d their feet & now would make them free:a mundane miracle will now combine.The God-Man bids that man on God will dine& daily service now makes unity. These common building blocks of bread & wineour Saviour takes into his holy hands& those, around him sat, his love commandsin mystic rites to make…

  • First Sonnet for Thursday

    VII – The Washing At Table: Christ Mandatum Novum do to us that we in love should brothers hold as He embodies love for us. Thus bold in love the nations seeing might him know. Example: washing feet in servant’s mold! To each apostle come in turn: St Pete refuses God now kneeling at his…

  • The Final Sonnets (for now)

    V Spy Wednesday – JudasNow Judas thief & liar, devil, friendHere come I carefully to you: for pot& kettle are both black. & we are notThat far I think each from the other’s end. The Priceless One you sold for not a lot:the price of one escapéd slave. Yet Ijust any petty lust or care…

  • Two more Holy Week Sonnets

    III Holy Monday – Pharisees Ye scribes & lawyers, hypocrites ye brood of vipers: pharisees who twirl the law to lure a proselyte into your maw then spit out worse; within your precepts stewed! The Torah’s words from out your crooked craw draw obligations far too hard to bear. Our God’s Revealéd words for making…

  • First three sonnets for Holy Week

    Prelude O Lord always majestic is thy name. No man may sing thy praises worthily & mould’ring – wanting words to hear & see is often in believers’ hearts thy fame. Still yet we try with prose & harmony to render mysteries in physic’s space: depicting love as icons show thy face to offer latria…