for all those desperately clamoring for more pearls of wisdom…
that title is tongue-in-cheek, BTW.
here’s a poem:
I’ll give you a hint - it’s about the end of the age (and the guy in the poem isn’t really me…my sister doesn’t have a front porch and I’ve never owned a Jetta)…and I wrote before I got to IHOP.
Open and Shut
A woman once stated,
“hope deferred makes a heart sick”
I was the deferment
she was the heartsick.
Then I shut the door
she pounded for weeks
grew tired
walked away.
I was nineteen years old.
Now, I wonder
where my hope resides…
is it in some distant
desert land of snakeskin
and cattleprods?
Is it in a book by Kierkegaard, Bonhoeffer,
or Dostoyevski’s yearning groans?
Is it in memory of my father’s aching back
and failing eyes? My sister’s newly
painted front porch, my new VW Jetta
or, recently, in a woman with red hair?
Or is it, should it be in the Eschaton?
Not some pre-millenialist tale
of airline pilot preachers and anti-christ assassination attempts; instead
the stirring pot,
humanity boiling in its own
blood-filled, edited and televised catastrophe.
Overflowing the kettle, hissing,
clouds gather,
the Bridegroom arises
sun-burst rays
judgement, piercing light, and a
new blood, poured out upon all flesh
rejoicing, groaning, signs of the earth giving
way to this weight of glory, now.
January 13, 2002
I’m so happy you wrote! And killer.
I like the poem because the transition between the worthlessness of the first “hopes” and the second hope is drastic. I was like minding my own business reading about life and suddenly Jesus is splitting the sky and pouring His blood on me. Cool.
YAY FOR KYLE! I love that you shared a poem! Thank you.
So, shall I call you Prufrock or il miglior fabbro?
Great poem.
That was really powerful. Thank you for sharing that with us. Got anymore good stuff like that?
By the way, I have a website that I put together as a resource for articles and poetry and art. Could I put your poem there? I’ll give you credit for it and it’s your copyright. You can check out the sight and see if you would let me put it up there. It’s http://www.onlythecross.com. I already have a few other poems by IHOPers. So if anyone would like to contribute….
nice… nice
wow. as a former English major, I give you a standing ovation. impressive.
tom: thanks for the invite, but i’m a bit superstitious about publishing my stuff anywhere that I don’t have direct control…a little weird I know - but maybe in the future.
http://scarletdoorgallery.wordpress.com/
I am glad you are writing friend. how about you check out this weblink and ask the Lord for more words for April 21st. gallery on L O V E as Scripture reveals. As well, look at details for tomorrow’s call for prayer for the arts!
-Heather
Kyle - I always knew you were a control freak.
I hope everyone else thinks that comment is as funny as I think it is, seeing as you are probably the least likely person to be a control freak.
Brooke - I was an English major too! We are sweet.
okay, you do realize you linked Monroe to homestar runner, right? ummm…that’s uhh not his website. nope. try again.
Victoria: yes…he doesn’t have a website - but i promised him I’d put a fake link on my blogroll for him - so, I figured it going to homestar would be his style.
yeah i can see that…it seems more your style than his.
well bummer….too bad myspace is the devil or else you could link his real site. notice i don’t link him either.
by the way, i switched to wordpress so whenever you get time change me on your link deal.
what is a VW jetta?
Kyle–
You may want to edit your posts. I don’t think Mr. Finelli “gets” your poem.
i love the world in this poem. i feel the surroundings and the tension. the resolution is only as meaningful as the context. the fingerprints are there.