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Month: January 2025

Denali

Denali

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Denali
pinnacle of the continent
prince among mountains
imposing massif
intimidating summit
bowing to no one
honoring no one
except the One
who laid your foundations
when time began
the One bearing no other name than
“I am”

Denali
long before us
long after us
heedless of politics
careless of human whim
you remain you
you need no name
we might give you
bearing only the name
that is already yours
Dee-naa-lee
“Tall One”

Denali
what you are
is what you are
irrespective of moniker
your dignity
irrevocably bestowed
may we too
wear a dignity unbesmirched
by narrow-minded defamation
each bearing the name shared
with every son of Adam and daughter of Eve
“Child of God”

A warning

A warning

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When the separation between church and state is erased, the one is subsumed into the other. It is not the state that loses its identity and purpose. It is the church. It is already happening.

When a large part of the evangelical church weds itself to the MAGA agenda, it sacrifices its distinctive message. There is no gospel in Trumpism: no grace, no mercy, no compassion, no love, certainly no love for enemies as Jesus commanded, and even little love for neighbors.

“Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do.” (Matthew 7:15-16)

Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie?

Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie?

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Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie,
Preaching hate in the name of love, Charlie,
Disparaging the least of these, Charlie,
Betraying the Lord you claim, Charlie?

Last Wednesday, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a self-identified evangelical Christian, complained about the ASL interpreters taking up half the screen during Los Angeles fire briefings, calling them a distraction. “We can’t do this. We gotta get back to how it used to be … It’s just too much. The reason is they do these emergency briefings for fires or terrorist attacks, and you’re looking at this and you’re not listening. I don’t like it … Closed captioning’s perfectly fine.”

Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie,
Preaching hate in the name of love, Charlie?
But what if your daughter were deaf, Charlie,
Would you be singing a different tune, Charlie?

A year ago, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a self-identified evangelical Christian, said: ”If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie,
Preaching hate in the name of love, Charlie?
If you broke down on the edge of the road, Charlie,
Would you take help from a man who is black,, Charlie?

At America Fest, in December, 2023, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a self-identified evangelical Christian, said: “We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s … The courts have been really weak on this. Federal courts just yield to the Civil Rights Act as if it’s the actual American Constitution.” [It’s] “a way to get rid of the First Amendment.”

Whatever shall we do with you, Charlie,
Preaching hate in the name of love, Charlie?
Shall I hate you in return, Charlie,
Or pray for a change of heart, Charlie?

This last summer, while introducing the Republican presidential candidate at a campaign rally, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a self-identified evangelical Christian, said: “I worship a God that defeats evil.”

May God have mercy on your soul, Charlie,
The God who says vengeance is mine, Charlie.
Pray God show grace to you, Charlie,
So much more than ever you’ve shown, Charlie.

On Salamander Road

On Salamander Road

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There is nothing like a morning breeze
Arustling through these ice-coated trees,
The briny air a wintry tease
On Salamander Road.

For thirty years I’ve lived this lane,
My nearest neighbor a sandhill crane,
But she went away with September rain
On Salamander Road.

Loud squawks of gulls disturb the quiet,
They swoop and twirl in exuberant riot.
If I were a bird I’d have to try it
On Salamander Road.

Pale sun sits low in the clouded sky,
Across its face two ospreys fly,
Their whistles echo, a haunting cry
On Salamander Road.

A tufted titmouse alights on the limb
Of a scruffy tamarack, perhaps on a whim,
But bringing delight as I gaze on him
On Salamander Road.

A pileated woodpecker, that prince of birds,
Circles a cedar in a dance of thirds,
Its plumes a sight that beggars words
On Salamander Road.

Our Maine state bird, a black-capped chickadee,
Twitters its song and hops about merrily,
Its antics cheering, but only temporarily
On Salamander Road.

There is nothing like a morning walk,
A January check on all my flock,
Escaping all the poppycock
On Salamander Road.