MEDITATION

MEMORIES OF AN OUTDOORSMAN

By

FRANK A VOLLMER

BLACK PHEASANT

WE WERE SURPRISED WHEN WE FOUND IT

THE CARBONIZED REMAINS OF THE PHEASANT

THE FIRE HAD BEEN INTENSE

BUT SHORT LIVED

CREATED BY THE STORM

EXTINGUISHED BY THE STORM

BUT THE INTERIM HAD BEEN EXTREME

FED BY THE DEBRIS OF THE DROUGHT

SO REAL

IT LOOK LIFELIKE

EXCEPT FOR THE COLOR

IT LOOKED ASLEEP

BUT WHEN WE KNELT TO TOUCH IT

IT FELL APART

AND FOUR CHICKS

RAN OUT FROM UNDER

PERHAPS

BECAUSE

WE HAD SEEN ENOUGH OF DEATH THAT DAY

WE WERE MOVED TO TEARS

SHE COULD HAVE FLOWN

SHE COULD HAVE SAVED HERSELF

SHE STAYED

GATHERED HER BROOD

UNDER HER WINGS

 BROUGHT THEM THROUGH THE FIRE

WE GATHERED THE CHICKS

THEY WOULD SURVIVE

REST WELL MOTHER

YOU HAVE TAUGHT US

WELL

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Rowboats

THE BOATS WERE GATHERED AROUND THE DOCK

WONDERING WHERE THEIR SAILORS WERE

SOON THEY WOULD BE PUT AWAY

IT WAS THE TIME

FOR THE PUTTING AWAY

THE TOYS OF SUMMER

THE TREES HAD DRESSED FOR ONE LAST DANCE

THE HAWK GOOSE AND BLACKBIRD

DECORATED THE SKY WITH THEIR PASSING

THE LOON

IT SEEMS JUST RECENTLY BORN

WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS

AWKWARD AND UNGAINLY

MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM LAKE TO OCEAN

AS AWKWARD AND UNGAINLY

AS MOST TRANSITIONS ARE

THE LAKE

FLAT AS A MIRROR

SENT A RIPPLE

TO PASS BENEATH THE DOCK

WHERE I SAT

ENJOYING THE WARM FALL DAY

RESTING FROM THE PUTTING AWAY OF TOYS

WAS IT AN ANSWER FROM GOD

FOR A PRAYER I'D SAID

THAT HE  ANSWERED

AS SO MANY PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED

WHEN THE WORLD IS IN TRANSITION

IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE

WE SEE A LEAF IN FLIGHT

ACTING AS IT WERE ENJOYING THE MOMENT

WE LIFT WITH THE LEAF

WE FEEL ITS JOY AND FREEDOM

SO THAT WE ARE MOVED TO TAKE A STICK

 RIPPLE THE WATER

SENDING A THANK YOU

BACK TO GOD

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Brook

NO BROOK IN MID WINTER THAW

EVER LOOKS THE SAME

FROM ONE BROOK TO ANOTHER

THEY NEVER LOOK THE SAME

EVEN THE SAME BROOK

DAILY VISITED

NEVER LOOKS THE SAME

IT’S AS IF GOD HAD HAD A ZEN MOMENT

A SATORI

AN ENLIGHTENMENT

 THEN HAD WRITTEN

IN AN ARABESQUE STYLE

UPON THE ICE THAT COVERED THE BROOK

 WHERE HE TOUCHED IT

IT BECAME WATER

EACH ONE DONE

WITH THE CASUALNESS

OF AN ARTIST

PLYING HIS TRADE

EACH ONE OF GOD’S CREATIONS

IS UNIQUE

AS WE ARE UNIQUE

TAKEN FROM NOTHINGNESS

TO BEING

BY GOD’S WRIT

BY HIS WORD

BY HIS NEED TO BE LOVED

SO HE CREATES LOVERS

THAT HE MIGHT GAZE UPON THEM

AS I GAZE UPON THE BROOK

THE DIFFERENCE IS

THAT GOD WISTFULLY HOPES

THAT THE LOVER

WILL LOVE HIM IN RETURN

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Snapshot #1

BLACK WATER SWIRLS AROUND THE PIER

THE SUN HAS GONE FOR THE DAY

GULLS FLY SEEKING REFUGE

BUSY LIGHTS DOT THE HARBOR

A TIRED FISHING BOAT

COMES CHUGGING IN

BLACK WATER SWIRLS AROUND THE PIER

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Unicorn

 

HOW BEAUTIFUL THE MIST IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS

IT LIES ON THE LAKE LIKE A COMFORTER

IT CALLS ME TO THE WOODS TO WALK IN IT

IT SEEMS TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING

WHEN THE WORLD WAS NEW

 NOT QUITE DRY

WHERE ONE COULD WALK THE FOGGY PATH

 SEE THE WORLD IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

PATHS THAT ONE KNEW WELL

TOOK ON A ESPECIAL APPEARANCE

WITH PEARLS OF WATER

LINING EVERYTHING

IT WAS A TIME WHERE ONE MIGHT EXPECT

AROUND THE BEND

TO MEET A UNICORN

A THING OF BEAUTY

IT WAS EASY TO GET LOST

NOT PAYING ATTENTION

CARRIED AWAY BY THE DREAM LANDSCAPE

EASY TO GET LOST

A RULE OF OUTDOORS IS

WHEN LOST STAND STILL

SOMEONE WILL FIND YOU

DON'T WANDER FURTHER AWAY

THERE IS A RULE IN SPIRITUALITY

THAT SAYS

WHEN YOUR MIND IS CLOUDY

WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY

KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING

TILL THE FOG LIFTS

IT'S CALLED THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

 AS I STOOD LOST

IN A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

WITH A MIND THAT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN

LEARNING NAMES OF MEDICINES

 PROCEDURES

 THE WORD ONCOLOGY

HOW WE DESTROY

TO REBUILD

HOW I MUST SWALLOW THE WITCHES BREW

THAT MIGHT CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS

WHICH WOULD NEED SEPARATE CURES

A FOGGY NIGHT IN MY MIND INDEED

BUT I WAS NOT ALONE

 NEVER HAD BEEN

FOR JESUS CAME AND SAID

BE AT PEACE AND STAY WHERE YOU ARE

YOU WERE AND NEVER WHERE ALONE

YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS

 THOUGH I MAY SEEM FAR FROM YOU

WHEN MEDICINE AND SICKNESS CLOUD YOUR MIND

I HAVE NEVER LEFT

 WHEN THE FOG LIFTS

I SHALL RETURN

MOUNTED ON A UNICORN

 I SHALL SAY TO YOU

CLIMB UP SINGER MAN

WE HAVE MUCH BEAUTY STILL TO DO
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WE ARE LIKE TREES IN GOD’S EYES

WITH ONE EYE HE SEES US

IN SPRINGTIME FINERY

FLOWERED

AND LEAFED

 MOVING

TO THE WIND OF THE SPIRIT

WITH THE OTHER EYE

HE SEES US AS WINTER TREES

LIMBS BROKEN

BATTERED BARK

ROOTS EXPOSED

MAYBE SOME TRUNK ROT

SETTING IN

BUT HE LOVES US

NOT FOR WHAT WE ARE

BUT WHAT WE CAN BECOME

IF AT THE END

OR ANYTIME

WE ARE LIKE THE GOOD THIEF

WHO CRIES

BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER

I HAVE NOT BORNE FRUIT

NOR PROVIDED SHADE

NOR GIVEN SHELTER TO BIRDS

HE

SEEING OUR SUMMER TREE

OF PROMISE

SAYS

WELCOME HOME

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.

.

TREES


WHEN I GROW TO OLD TO LIVE
I'D LIKE TO BE A TREE
WHERE LOVERS SIT UNDER
TALKING ABOUT THEIR FUTURE
PERHAPS CARVE NAMES
I WONDER IF IT WILL TICKLE OR HURT

I WOULD BE A REMINDER OF LIFE
FROM SPRING'S EARLY GREENING
TO MATURE SHADE
TO THE END TIME COLOR
 FINALLY
THE SKELETON
SHOWING ROOTS GRIPPING DEEP INTO THE EARTH
 ARMS STRETCHING UP TO GOD

I WOULD BE A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN PLAY
MY BRANCHES WOULD BE LOW FOR CLIMBING
IMPORTANT
THAT BRANCHES BE LOW ENOUGH FOR CLIMBING
WHERE YOUNG ONES GO TO DREAM OF BEING OLDER
 OLD ONES GO TO DREAM OF BEING YOUNGER
OR MAYBE NOT
CONTENT WITH WHERE THEY ARE

SO MANY STORIES TO TELL
BE QUIET AMONG THE TREES AT NIGHT
 YOU CAN HEAR THEM RUSTLING OUT THEIR STORIES
OR IN THE MOONLIGHT NIGHTS OF WINTER
YOU CAN SEE THEM
TALKING IN SIGNS TO EACH OTHER

YES I'D LIKE TO BE A TREE
BUT PLANT ME NEAR A SCHOOL
 WHEN THEY COME TO SIT IN ME
WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF STORIES TO SHARE

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