Saturday, July 15, 2006

Open to Adoption

Choosing to be adopted
ah, that is the key point
isn’t it

A different act, when it is
a purposeful step
whether in earthly terms
or accepting the offer
paid in full
one time for all
by the Lamb

An adult has a choice,
the gift of free will
a boldness in choosing
being open to adoption,
penitent and thankful,
by a loving mother or father.



===============
edited December 17, 2016
Open to Adoption – v3
merging edited to original and version 2
edited December 9, 2015
Open to Adoption – v2
July 15, 2006 23:00
Open to Adoption
About Ephesians 1:3-14 and
about the adoption at age 25 in 1913 of my grandfather,
Arthur Leon Foss by Georgiana Foss, matron of
the Faith Home orphanage in Lowell, MA.
Honoring her by taking the name he had always known.
Recognizing the consciousness of accepting
God’s offer of adoption, with its rewards and responsibilities.

Cloth Me With Joy

Joy comes with the morning
the birthing of a new day
Cloth me in your joy Lord
wrap, cover my nakedness
my iniquity, my shame
with joy in the covenant
the abiding relationship
creator and sustainer God
Redeem me, use me
for your purposes
Gird my spirit,
carry your banner,
clothed in joy
in the dawning


July 15, 2006 22:45
Psalm 33:5b, 11c

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,020+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Beach Sand

Maybe it is the memories
the change of pace that brings us there
the sense of vacation
maybe the smell of the place
the sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grasses
but oh it is the feel of it,
the crunch and slide of it
the feeling of beach sand
so different from dirt, soil, loam
no, not earthy, moist, rich,
but oh so granular and gritty
even when wet,
moveable paper spreading under toes
sliding beneath the soles
smoothing my skin
clearing my mind
unburdening me of the rest
drawing me to the tactile, the feel
of beach sand


edited July 30, 2015
Beach Sand – v6
(editing version 5)
edited April 2, 2014
Beach Sand – v5
Edited September 20, 2012
“Beach Sand – v4”
edited March 5, 2012
“Beach Sand – v3”
edited September 29, 2010
“Beach Sand – v2”
July 15, 2006 19:03
“Beach Sand”

All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,330+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Rink

After Minnesota’s lakes
in the winter of ’71,
it was no big deal
but for us it was
it was something we did together
dad, mom, and us
some plastic, boards to frame
the edge
and a thin film of ice
added layer by layer,
day by day
brittle pockets of air,
deep solid parts
and ragged places
where the lawn dipped, sloped
draining the hose after each time,
so it wouldn’t fill
setting lights to shine on our practice
under the stars and moon
using it after school too;
but mostly at night,
watching mom figure skate
and dad teaching us hockey
before the lure of skiing
changed our winter sport.


July 15, 2006 18:54

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Fermented

The French had nothing on us…
okay, other than skill, tradition, and hygiene
We all were vintners for a moment
or at least we were mad scientists
either way it wasn’t good

A bottle of grape juice
a packet of yeast, roughly torn
some seemingly used cellophane
and one 500 ml beaker

a class of seventh graders
and an eager teacher
mixed ingredients
stretched the flimsy membrane
set the beaker on the high shelf
in the science lab’s closet
(hardly the wine cellar)
and waited
for wine

Why, oh why, did we taste it?
Good thing for new laws
keeping others in public schools
from a similar fate.


July 15, 2006 17:29


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Comet Kohotek

A forgotten bit of space dust
heralded before its fizzle
but a wealth, a treasure
for this son, sharing a memory
of my father
helping me, loving me

Up the ladder to the roof,
watch for the edge, stay close
feel the bite of fall, after dark
attach the cable release,
study the sky
place the tripod
push the button

Will it show? Will we see it, capture the tail
see what the experts predict
catch the magic of the moment
on the emulsion of my film

He didn’t say, “I love you”;
but thirty years later,
I know he did;
why else would he have spent his night
on the roof
squinting at a spark
that never was
counting down the time for the shot
teaching me, laughing with me
in the dark


July 15, 2006 15:22

Comet Kohotek - October - November 1973 - Dad and me on the roof of the Westfield (MA) Junior High School, with permission, and only Mom’s camera with the broken tripod

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Shoals

A trip to the Isles of Shoals
September, after the hurricanes
warm tropical water
sea foam bright, southern
a different smell that day
of other islands
Rocks pumiced by the Atlantic
poison ivy free to grow
deepening burgundy now
before winter
lunch on the rocks, watch the waves
crash at the rising of the tide
salt air
seals on the next island
ready for our cameras on the return trip
a sunset on the ocean
long shadows
a diving gull
undulating reflections


July 15, 2006 15:13


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 21,710+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Adopted

He was a man with secrets
hidden slices of his life
long pushed down
below the surface
covered with pithy jokes
told to his Masonic friends
He was adopted,
to take the name he had only
known, or so the story goes
interesting tendrils though
of other threads
woven into his story
of a mother and uncle
aunt in the sanitarium
blurting out truths buried in his attic
found lifetimes later
what did he know
of who he was
before he was
adopted



July 15, 2006 15:07


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,020+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Plates - 1

How 4CHINIT,
HOWBZR,
it’s like they know me
yes please, another cup of COFFEE
I LOVE DEBEAN
On a WINDEE cold morning,
when it is ICECOLD
I need MOJAVA

Learn about your NEIGHBR
TEACH the children, the INOCENT
Free NEPAL and Tibet
Question the
BIGBANG theory
Be GR8FUL for what you have
Play with THETOY while you can
It’s TNSOFUN

I’ve never been to ZURICH;
but I’ve heard DELPHI’s message,
PHILLY’s call
HIBYEHI
Make up your mind
4GIVE
DEAL with it
it is GOOD4U

ONEFISH
where oh where is TWO FISH
YBNRML, don’t be RUTHLS
GODEEP
I will PRAY4U



July 15, 2006 14:54 – This is a poem that just came together from NH vanity plates (the capitalized parts), seen in just a day or two. I had been thinking of drafting such a poem for a while. Other plates seen the same days were: JOENVIC, K2-P2, NU-D, SLVRFN, NO-, POPLIN, DIMEBAG, &AMORE, ANGIE+, ROBBY7, SUN-BUG, +LAW-, ROOTI, TIEGUY, ISABEL, SAWENY, -DRAVEN, HIM8NC, SSDAD, KIOKI, SMB-1, POLO1, 95MSTG, J98-K02, HERC, SPANKI, EME 318, TWINLAB, PEGGY, KEIFER, MADDEN, RHEA, ZSUN2, PIMM-2, MISSY+, JAIR, -DANNY-, MAWJAW, 2GR8SNZ, BUSHMAN


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Blue

The other morning
the blue was too blue
bright hurt my eye
why is the sky blue, sky blue
too blue, what a hue
if only I had a clue
about why the sky is so blue


Started 2/15/05, finished 7/15/06 7:49


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Friday, July 14, 2006

A Perfect Bloom

I wanted to do something special
say something meaningful
in more than words
show you how proud I am
how much I love you
the way God is using your gifts
to touch the hearts of others
sharing a message
of hope
needed by so many
not knowing where we will be lead
but believing in His call
for you
and our family


July 14, 2006 16:03
for Ruth after her first sermon at church




All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

A Birthing of Free Will

She was the one, the test case
the alpha, the first
who pushed the envelope
bucked the system
went her own way
and stood up to the masculine authority figure
the big man in the room
Oh yes, she did
taught Him a lesson now didn’t she
except…
He and we are paying for it
oh are we paying
work and pain and toil and sweat and
what was she thinking??
He made it oh so clear
he wasn’t kidding
he meant it
don’t do it
no, really, don’t
but she did
she took it
and gave it to him
not Him
him.
Oh boy!


July 13, 2006 22:42
Genesis 3




All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 21,910+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Dancing with God

A wonderful concept
dancing with God
but are we ready for him to lead
to guide us through life’s passages
turning our freewill over
to Him
becoming a follower
disciple of the Master
feeling his hand on our hip
our back
submitting to his will
the yoke is easy
but it is a yoke
nonetheless
hard choice
for a society, a people
wrapped up in Me



July 13, 2006 22:32

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,020+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Poetry in My Soul

I hear the verse in the cells of my fingers
feel the pull of the words on the keyboard
typing them as fast as my digits can go
sometimes,
lingering over a turn of phrase
a bit of thought
too ephemeral to be grasped quickly

Sharing all the words, all the meaning
I glean from the air, the spirit
calling me to write, to leave it on the page
urging me
stain on the parchment
characters in the dust
saved by whirling hard drives
and pieces of time



the cadence of the words

the cadence of the words
maybe without rhyme or meter
but a movement, an urging
to go on to read further

a movement, a motion
in the words coming together
singing a song, a whisper
a hope, a prayer, a lyric,
that was already written

=================
November 3, 2017
the cadence of the words
&
===================
edited January 13, 2016
A Calling to Write – v4
(editing version 3)
edited November 4, 2015
A Calling to Write – v3
(editing version 2)
July 6, 2015
A Calling to Write – v2
August 30, 2011
Hearing Your Words
written after looking up the earlier poem,
“A Calling to Write”
February 4, 2010
A Calling to Write
Habakkuk 2:2
Habakkuk 1
Habakkuk 2:1-3
and Day 138, “Write the Revelation”, in
 “Daily Mediations: On Golden Texts of the Bible”,
by Henry Gariepy
read 2/4/10
&
==================
edited January 13, 2016
Inspiration Poetry – v6
(merging edits to version 3, version 4, and version 5)
(I know, this is part of the craft thing…)
edited  November 17, 2015
Inspiration Poetry – v5
(editing version 3)
edited  November 5, 2015
Inspiration Poetry – v4
(editing version 3)
edited November 4, 2015
Inspiration Poetry – v3
(merging version 2 and original)
Edited September 4, 2012
“Inspiration Poetry – v2”
May 24, 2009
“Inspiration Poetry”
&
-----
merged / edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v29
(merging edits to version 28, version 15, version 16, version 17,
version 18, version 19, version 20, version 21 version 22, version 23,
version 24, version 25, version 26, and version 27)
==============
edits of individual poems
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v28
(editing version 14)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v27
(editing version 13)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v26
(editing version 12)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v25
(editing version 10)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v24
(editing version 9)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v23
(editing version 8)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v22
(editing version 7)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v21
(editing version 6)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v20
(editing version 5)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v19
(editing version 4)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v18
(editing version 3)
edited January 9, 2016
seeing the words – v17
(editing version 2)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v16
(editing original)
edited January 9, 2016
Seeing the Words – v15
(editing version 11)
edited April 10, 2015
seeing the words – v14
(editing version 10)
edited January 31, 2015
seeing the words – v13
(editing original)
edited January 31, 2015
Seeing the Words – v12
(editing original and version 11)
edited May 28, 2014
“Seeing the Words – v11
edited February 15, 2014
“seeing the words – v10”
(editing version 4)
Edited October 26, 2013
“seeing the words – v9”
(editing version 7)
Edited October 25, 2013
“seeing the words – v8”
(editing version 3 again)
Edited October 23, 2013
“seeing the words – v7”
(editing version 3)
Edited October 19, 2013
“seeing the words – v6”
(editing version 3)
Edited October 12, 2013
“seeing the words – v5”
(editing version 4)
Edited October 11, 2013
“seeing the words – v4”
(editing version 3)
Edited October 5, 2013
“seeing the words – v3”
(editing the original again)
Edited July 22, 2013
“seeing the words – v2”
December 4, 2007 12:25pm
“seeing the words”
about writing poetry, when it is a gift of God,
transcribing the words God already wrote
&
----------------
edited January 7, 2016
Personal Poetry – v2
posted February 21, 2004
February 3, 2004 16:45
Personal Poetry
&
------------------
edited January 3, 2016
Rewriting – v3
(editing original)
edited July 11, 2014
Rewriting – v2
September 28, 2001 05:33
Rewriting
&
==================
edited December 17, 2015
Poetry – revised – v2
posting 2/5/2004 – 1st posting to blog
last edit 8/13/2000
edit 5/24/2000
Poetry – revised
&
--------
edited June 29, 2015
Nouns Verbs and Adjectives – v5
(editing version 3)
edited April 11, 2015
Nouns Verbs and Adjectives – v4
(editing version 2)
edited March 2, 2015
Nouns Verbs and Adjectives – v3
(editing version 2)
Edited April 24, 2013
“Nouns Verbs and Adjectives – v2”
September 5, 2008
“Nouns Verbs and Adjectives”
written at the Agape Café coffeehouse
Wesley United Methodist Church
(one of 24 written there that night)
writing poetry with third grade classes
Barrington Elementary School
Spring 2001
&
===============
edited May 19, 2015
Poetry – haiku – 2 – v2
November 1, 2009
Poetry – haiku - 2
&
-----
edited March 23, 2015
Sounds of Scribbles – v3
(editing version 2)
edited January 31, 2015
Sounds of Scribbles – v2
August 18, 2004 21:58
Sounds of Scribbles
&






September 24, 2006 16:39
A Year in Words
This poem marks 365 poems in the last 365 days – 9/24/05 to 9/24/06
&
-----------
September 22, 2006 20:47
A Waterfall of Words
&
September 21, 2006 22:58
Hope in the Words
&
------------------
July 13, 2006 15:34
Poetry in My Soul
&
------------------
July 11, 2006 21:50
Four Poems
&
------------------






&
---
edited March 21, 2015
Flash of Joy – v5
(editing version 3)
edited January 14, 2015
Into Being – v2
edited January 14, 2015
Flash of Joy – v4
(editing version 2)
edited January 14, 2015
Flash of Joy – v3
(editing original)
edited May 24, 2012
Flash of Joy – v2
February 2, 2004 11:44
Flash of Joy
– Written in reaction to the response to the poem “Into Being”
by Roberta Woods –
“Love it!  You've captured the essence of writing not as a discipline but as joy.  And it is because it is pure joy (the agony comes later during revision) it is not a discipline in the sense of having rigid edges.  All doing from joy is a gift to the doer as well as the recipient whether cooking, writing, gardening or any other activity.  My joy activities are writing and carpentry.  All the rest require me to have discipline to get them done. –Roberta”
&
January 31, 2004 19:28-19:36
Into Being
– About the process of writing as merely writing down the words, suggested by Roberta Woods earlier in the day. I see her point, based on the way my writing often comes quickly. Even when I edit it as I write, it is more to get it right/write. We had been talking about “one-book wonders” and had segwayed into a discussion of how she writes daily and how, when she starts writing a story, it often is prolific.

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 45,330 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

blessing, body, Christ, creator, Faith, gifts, God, love, joy, grace, purpose, calling, hope, Methodist, NEUMC, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, work, Writing Poetry, praise poetry,

#blessing #body #Christ #creator #Faith #gifts #God #love #joy #grace #purpose #calling #hope #Methodist #NEUMC #writing #praise

----

God, faith, Methodist, United Methodist, Habakkuk 2, God’s will, free will, path, way, purpose, plan, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, love, disciples, scripture, calling, God’s purpose, law,

#God #Christ #faith #Methodist #Habakkuk2 #freewill #path #way #purpose #plan #love #disciples #scripture #calling #poetry #law #gift

----------------

craft, inspiration, poetry, writing poetry, editing, new, original, revision, God, gift, changed, growth, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, rejection, perfection, beauty, quality, gossamer, magic,

#craft #inspiration #poetry #writing #editing #new #original #revision #God #gift #changed #growth #rejection #perfection #beauty #quality #gossamer #magic

---------------------------

Agape Cafe, christian, church, coffee, creator, Faith, Family, forest, God, grace, hope, house, laugh, love, National Poetry Month, New Hampshire, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, schools, Writing Poetry,

#Christ #Christian #church #creator #Faith #Family #God #Spirit #grace #hope #love #Poetry #schools #WritingPoetry #words

A Clutch of Pearls

We snuck away
outside after being in
while they had a bit of lunch
fresh rain hung in the air
on the grass, plants around the yard
Around the corner, under the lawn chair
where the grass hadn’t been cut
a clutch of pearls
uncultured but just as real
pearls of water in a small
subtle spider's web
soon to evaporate, join and fall
to the earth
but for a moment
we were blessed
by a small miracle
in the grass


July 13, 2006 14:19


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

I Was Six

My wife shared with me new candles
votives to replace those used up
Suddenly
I was six, maybe eight
certainly no older than that
for an instant, a sure moment,
I knew the smells of a place
long ago, when I was a child

My aunt’s bathroom,
on top of the bowl
an old tea saucer,
with a floral pattern gilding the edge
clutching round rose scented balls of hand soap
which were never used

An aerosol can of strawberry scent
too close to my hands
nearby, next to the show hand towels
waiting, calling me,
hearing her bark from the kitchen
when I answered its call


July 13, 2006 14:07

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.