ROADS

ROADS

BY

FRANK A VOLLMER

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WAR IN A FAR COUNTRY

 

.Newfoundlanders at war sustained massive fatality and casualty (dead plus wounded) rates. Fatalities claimed one quarter of the regiment’s overseas force. Casualties stood at 72 percent, or 58 percent of the nominal roll. Rates for the Royal Naval Reserve were lower. The long-term effects of the loss of so many young lives, compounded by the number of wounded, disabled and diseased, were substantial

 

They represented nearly 10 percent of the total male population, or 35.6 percent of young men between the ages of 19 and 35

 

AT THAT TIME NEWFOUNDLAND’S POPULATION WAS 24000O

 

 

WAR IN A FAR COUNTRY

 

YOU MIGHT WONDER

WHY A COUNTRY

IN WHICH I WASN’T BORN

CONCERNS ME

 

IT WAS MY MOTHER’S ISLAND

 BY PROXY MINE

 

WITH SO FEW ELIGIBLE BACHELORS

PLUS HARD TIMES

BROUGHT ON IN PART

BY THE COST OF CARING FOR THE CASUALTIES

HURT

MAIMED IN BODY

IN MIND

GASSED

 

ALSO NEWFOUNDLAND

WITH VILLAGES

CALLED OUTPORTS

WHICH RINGED THE ISLAND

WITH POPULATIONS OF MAYBE 10 FAMILIES

WHOSE INDUSTRY WAS COD FISHING

WHOSE COMMUNICATION

WITH THE REST OF THE ISLAND

OR THE REST OF THE WORLD

WAS BY SEA

THERE WERE FEW CROSS COUNTRY ROADS

 

THE YOUNG MEN HAD TO WORK WITH THEIR FATHERS

TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY

IF THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY

DIED EARLY

OR WAS HURT

THERE WAS NO SAFETY NET OR PENSION

WITH SO FEW ELIGIBLE BACHELORS

OR JOBS

 

MY MOTHER DECIDED TO IMMIGRATE

TO THE STATES

MET MY FATHER

 HERE I AM

 

IT HAS BEEN PLUS 85 YEARS

SINCE THE AUSPICIOUS DAY OF MY BIRTH

DURING THAT LIFESPAN

THERE HAVE BEEN CONTINUAL WARS

OR THE RUMOR OF WARS

UNTIL NOW WE HAVE WARS

WITHOUT ENDING

 

WHERE TO END IT

WE HAVE TO DECLARE VICTORY

LEAVE

 

LIKE TACITUS

WE CAN SAY

THEY HAVE MADE A WILDERNESS

THEY CALL IT PEACE

WE KEEP SENDING OUR YOUNG MEN

TO FEED THE INSATIABLE MEAT GRINDER

 

WE CALL IT NOBLE

IT IS

EVEN IF THE CAUSE IS UNJUST

OR MANUFACTURED

 

BUT THE GREY HEADS

THAT SEND YOUNG MEN TO WAR

SIT IN NICE OFFICES

IMMUNE TO PAIN

OR THE COST OF BAD JUDGMENT

 

THEY SHOUT HURRAHS

THEN VOTE TO CUT

A VETERANS PENSION

 

I THINK WHAT CAUSING MY DOUR THOUGHTS

ARE PICTURES OF OUR RETURNING VETERANS

DELIMBED

SCARRED IN MIND AND BODY

I WANT TO SCREAM

WHY

WHAT WASTE

TO WHAT MEANINGFUL PURPOSE

THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY

 

IN A CHRISTIAN NATION

THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER WAY

 

IT SEEMS A HOPELESS TASK

BUT IF EACH ONE OF US TRIED TO LIVE PEACEFULLY

FORGIVE WRONGS

WE SUCK ON LIKE

A SORE TOOTH

 

12 MEN STARTED THE CHURCH

NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD WIN A NOBEL PRIZE

 

DAILY WE SAY

FORGIVE OUR SINS

AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS

IT’S A START

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FIRE (LUKE 12:49-56)

 

 

I HAVE COME TO BRING FIRE TO THE EARTH

TO BURN AWAY THE DROSS OF SIN

INCINERATE THE RESIDUE OF SIN

TO DESTROY SIN

ITS CLUTCHES

I WAIT EAGERLY TO STRIKE THE MATCH

 

BUT FIRST THERE ARE DUES TO PAY

I MUST BE OVERWHELMED BY SIN AND DEATH

MY HUMAN SIDE MUST GO TO THE END AND BEYOND

I MUST BE PLUNGED INTO THE PIT

I MUST GO TO THE LAND OF SHADES

AND THERE BUST THE GATES OF HELL

SET CAPTIVES FREE

 

I THINK FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING CHRISTIANS

THE LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK WORD BAPTISMA

INTO BAPTISM

SIGNIFIES SACRAMENT BY WATER

A CLEANSING

 

BUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A BAPTISM OF BLOOD

WE HAVE BEEN WASHED IN THAT BLOOD

WE HAVE BEEN RANSOMED AT GREAT PRICE

CHRIST KNOWS THE PRICE OF DISCIPLESHIP

 

IF FOR NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT I SAVED YOU

I MUST BE FIRST

I ACCEPT NO OTHER RIVALS

NO OTHER IDOLS

MONEY

SEX

POWER

NO OTHER IDOLS

 

THE CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE FOR YOU

IF YOU CHOOSE ME

AT THE CROSS ROADS YOU FOLLOW ME

NO MATTER WHAT SIREN LURES

CALL FROM THE OTHER PATH

 

I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD

YOU SHALL NOT PUT OTHER GODS BEFORE ME

 

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JOB

I’VE NEVER LIKED
THE ENDING
OF THE BOOK OF JOB

OH THE WORDS ARE MAJESTIC
YOU CAN REALLY CHEW THE SCENERY
WHEN RECITING THEM

BUT IT’S AS IF GOD
IS CAUGHT SHORT
WITHOUT AN ANSWER

SO HE BLUSTERS
MAKING HIMSELF BIG
HE THUNDERS
AT JOB
WHO COWS
FRIGHTENED
BUT UNANSWERED

BUT BEFORE THAT SCENE
HIS FRIENDS COUNSEL HIM
THAT HIS SINS ARE THE CAUSE
OF HIS SUFFERING

A COMMON THOUGHT AT THAT TIME
WHERE GODS WERE APPEASED BY SACRIFICE
THAT GOD WOULD REWARD
NOW
HERE
BECAUSE AT DEATH
WHAT AWAITED YOU WAS A LAND OF SHADE

IN THAT LIGHT
HIS FRIEND ELIPHAZ
SAID
IF YOU REPENT YOUR SIN
TO WHICH JOB SAID
I HAVE NOT

FORGING ON
ELIPHAZ SAID
IF YOU REPENT YOUR SIN
THEN

YOU WILL MAKE A COVENANT WITH THE STONES IN THE FIELDS. THEY WON'T KEEP YOUR CROPS FROM GROWING. EVEN WILD ANIMALS WILL BE AT PEACE WITH YOU

BUT THIS CONTRADICTS GOD
WHEN HE CHASED MAN FROM THE GARDEN
SAYING

THE VERY GROUND IS CURSED BECAUSE OF YOU; GETTING FOOD FROM THE GROUND WILL BE AS PAINFUL AS HAVING BABIES IS FOR YOUR WIFE

BUT CHRIST CAME
TO HEAL A WOUNDED CREATION
GAVE US HIS INDWELLING SPIRIT
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT
TO REWARD US WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE
NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD LIFE

THE WORDS
BUT THE DOWNTRODDEN ARE SAVED BY GOD,                         SAVED FROM THE MURDEROUS PLOTS
SAVED FROM THE IRON FIST

WE KNOW ARE OFTEN NOT TRUE

THE MOTHER SHOT
BECAUSE SHE WOULDN’T LET HER SON GO
IN THE LINEUP AT AUSCHWITZ

THE WORKMAN
SEEING HIS PENSION
STOLEN
BY GREEDY PROFITEERS

THE NUN
TRYING FOR A LIVING WAGE
FOR FARM WORKERS
KILLED BY RICH LANDOWNERS

BONHOEFFER
JAILED AND HUNG
FOR WANTING JUSTICE

CHILDREN THAT DIE BEFORE THEIR PARENTS

THEY WERE NOT SAVED FROM THE IRON FIST
AND THEY LIVED WELL

IN ORIENTAL CULTURE
THERE IS A PRINCIPLE CALLED
BODHISATTVA

ONE WHO POSTPONES SALVATION
TO HELP OTHERS

IS THIS NOT
THE OMEGA POINT
TOWARD WHICH WE’RE GROWING

HAVING TRIED ALL OTHER ROADS
TO FIND THAT LOVE IS THE ANSWER

THAT SALVATION IS MEAGER
WHEN DONE ALONE
WITHOUT A NEIGHBOR
IS THIS NOT PIE IN THE SKY

DID NOT CHRIST DIE TO SAVE A WORLD
WAS HIS DEATH IN VAIN
OR ONLY FOR A FEW

IS HE NOT THE YEAST
THAT PERMEATES THE WORLD
TO MAKE IT BETTER
AND DOES HE NOT NEED OUR HANDS
TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

I STILL DON’T LIKE GOD’S ANSWER TO JOB
OR THAT SIN BRINGS ON MISFORTUNE
LIKE A QUID PRO QUO TRANSACTION

BUT MAYBE
WHEN I THINK
HOW I’VE FUMBLED MY LIFE AWAY
THAT THE GOD WHO LOVES ME
KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

WHEN THINGS DON’T GO WELL
HE BLUSTERS
TO HIDE HIS CRYING

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Paths (GENESIS)

THE STARS

UPON A PATH

MADE BY GOD'S 

GREAT "BEGIN"

 

MOVED TO FORM A WONDER 

THAT WISE MEN FOUND ATTRACTIVE 

THEY SOUGHT TO SEEK ITS MEANING

 

IT DROVE THEM FROM COMFORTABLE BEDS

UPON A JOURNEY

 TO DISCOVER

 A NEW

 BEGINNING

 IN THEIR WORLD

  IN THEIR SELVES

 

THEY WERE USED TO DEALING WITH KINGS 

THEY DEALT WITH HEROD HANDILY 

BUT THE CHILD KING 

LEFT THEM WONDERING

 

AS THEY HELD THE CENTER ON THE UNIVERSE

 THEY HOPED HE WOULD NOT CRY 

THOUGH SOMEHOW THEY KNEW

THAT HIS VOICE

 WOULD NOT BE

 A VOICE SHOUTING IN THE DESERT

BUT RATHER LIKE A RUSTLE OF LEAVES

OR SAND SIFTING DOWN A DUNE

 

CALLING MEN BACK TO THE BEGINNING

 ALONG PATHS OF RETURN

 LAID DOWN LONG AGO

 WHEN GOD SAID

 "BEGIN" 

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