Poetry Where You Live

calling, Christ, community, disciples, Faith, gifts, God, God’s purpose, Methodist, Raymond A. Foss, United Methodist, Matthew 2, Advent, Magi, Poetry Where You Live, love, grace, journey, Epiphany,

#calling #Christ #community #disciples #Faith #gifts #God #purpose #Methodist #Matthew2 #Advent #Magi #Poetry #love #grace #journey #Epiphany

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 45,520 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

River Ice

High above the reach of the sea,
where the brackish water
is almost clear,
Tectonic plates of ice
released by the shore
and their brethren upstream
flow to the ocean,
calf and stack
careen and crash
melt and meld

White, blue, grey and green
Irregular shapes
Inexorably drawn to solution
from whence they came.

1/1/06 14:52

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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Barefoot on Holy Ground

Can you picture the scene –
a bush with living fire
dancing on the skin of the leaves
A fire without loss
Part of the miraculous,
the possible for the eternal I am.

A trembling servant
following the call from the flames
to shed his sandals
to touch holy ground.

A precious act of reverence and awe
seeing the presence of God
in power and authority
Knowing the chasm between us
Acting Accordingly.

Exodus 3:1-6
Command of God, the I am, to Moses to remove his sandals before the burning bush. See also Joshua 5:15.

1/1/06 16:55

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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Weir

A fence of wattles
Placed just so in the mud
shaped in labyrinth
out in the current
by the landing, in the channel

An old fashioned tool
Spring to Winter
Sentinels in the water
Tended by the lone fisher

Anachronistic in modern times
a fish weir in the river
named for an eel.

1/1/06 17:10
From my memory of the weir in the Lamprey River, in downtown Newmarket, NH in 1982/1983. 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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Masks of Necessity

Grown child, where is your laughter?
Do you laugh, smile, cheer
in the song of the wind, the leap of the sun
the squeal of your little girl?

Seeing with her eyes the moments of life,
lost too often in adult ways
behind masks of necessity.
Reckless abandon and
absolute resolute mirth
Joy for the taking
from the true vine,
for there is a liberation
in him for us all
Grab hold for your life!

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

edited March 7, 2018

Masks of Necessity – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2018/03/masks-of-necessity-v2.html

1/1/06 17:22

Masks of Necessity

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/01/masks-of-necessity_02.html

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, 2017, and 2018. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 46,450 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

child, creator, daughter, eyes, Faith, faith poetry, God, grow, hope, joy, life, Methodist, New Hampshire, Poetry Where You Live, senses, sight, son, sun, vine, wind,

#child #creator #daughter #eyes #faith #poetry #God #grow #hope #joy #life #Methodist #NewHampshire #PoetryWhereYouLive #senses #sight #son #sun #vine #wind #adult #childhood #memory #concerns #struggle #adulthood

Spawned Salmon

Lost past exhaustion
she floated, lapping the shore with the wind and tide
Completed, her journey done, spent
Returning to dust, as we all must
A lonely solitary shell
caught in the shallows upstream
where she was born
Many years before
And where she was called back to
closing the circle of her life
fulfilling here destiny,
her place in the universe.

1/1/06 17:27 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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Field of Scat

Late January, in the cold clear wood
Boots crunch through layers of snow and ice
Breath catches in beard and scarf
Freezing in the air before me
Leaves clatter in the wind between the otherwise still forest

A clearing, by man or fire,
out in an opening where the sun bursts through
signs of the denizens of the glen
in turned soil, crushed tracks of all sizes
and a field of scat, of the white-tailed deer

Saturating myself in the senses awoken
away from all but these sights and sounds
in the smell of the balsam and pine,
the taste of ice

Following the footfalls first of deer
then of vole and chipmunk
Watching the shape of stem and vine
of leaf and tree
the changed impressions of the land
under snow’s blanket

Losing time behind the lens
Luxuriating in the quiet
the simplicity, the peace
of that time and place

1/1/06 17:45
North Conway, NH, at least 6 years earlier
Photo by Ray Foss

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 26,510+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Discernment

Listening for that still quiet voice
that inner calm, a certainty
A welling up of a thought, an idea
the manifestation of a dream
unspoken but heard in the
whispered places in the heart

Seeking the divine will
when there is no burning bush,
no herald angels
No bright star in the east
only panoply of choices
different paths to tread
only one of which is the maker’s
Other roads merely man’s folly
The dross of free will.

1/1/06 23:10

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Sky Mountains

A range of mountains
Hues of plum, rose, and rust
hover above the terrestrial hills
cloaked in winter’s gray, brown, and white
shapes frozen in the air
over the cold earth
captured clouds of dust and smoke
of water and ice
colored by the master’s brush
splashed with blue
marching across the sky

First 3 lines draft 12/13/05 17:40
rest added 12/14/05 7:45
edited 12/28/05 21:47 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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Four Walls

From tabernacle to temple
to the tablets of our hearts
mapping the four walls,
the roof and foundation,
the home of God
Now and before the Kings

Big enough to fill the creation
with his hand, his breath,
his wonder to behold
and small enough
to live in each human heart
ready to heed his invitation

12/21/05 16:30
See 2 Samuel 7:1-16

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 18,740+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Our Silent Night

A hush fell over the congregation
lights dimmed, cloaking us all
A glow grew, pew by pew
Candles clutched be each one, in wonder

The hymnal open to the familiar verses
Pages lit by the halo of newborn light
held in each hand.

We all murmured the prayer
living in the words
of our hope and your birth
that Silent Night

We were calm, serene
wrapped in your holy light

We joined the throng
‘round the virgin
and her wondrous child
Letting the light
fill our hearts

12/20/05 21:40

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 27,940+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Frozen Fog

Early Sunday morning
leaving the highway
Sparkles off the shoulder
draw our gaze

Light refracting and pulsing
new frost clinging
shrub and nettle,
goldenrod and milkweed
blanketed, crystallized
ablaze
in frozen fog

December 20, 2005 13:47

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 30,700+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Windward Dawn

We were alone with our thoughts
Warm breezes off the southerly ocean
murmur of sea foam on a soft expanse of sand
a solitary couple, alone with each other
for our wonderful show, repeated daily

Early morning on the beach
long before the commotion of day
gazing at the horizon and beyond
through bleary eyes,
thick with northern slumber
Ready to drink in the cascades of color
as the artist paints the windward dawn
before us

Reeling from the brightening sky
like fireworks too close
rich yellows morphing to white
ripping through clouds of grays,
slate blue, and whites
Ours alone to share
on our honeymoon
in our memories
in the whispered language
of love

December 16, 2005 16:25

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Memories in the Stillness

When we let the moments of stillness bleed into us,
they are there forever,
to recall, even if ephemerally.
It is being in the moment,
Able to truly appreciate the silence of the water, the wood,
the colors of the sky on a fading autumn day,
the movement of a branch covered in snow,
or even a spider's web
with a drop of dew on it
swinging in an early summer breeze.

Seeing through more of our senses
reflecting while perceiving
to bring back
a perfect moment
whenever we dream

December 8, 2005 11:50

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

The Holy Continuum

Stare Decisis

From the Beginning
He was the Word
From Abraham to Moses
to David and the prophets
The Law, to guide human behavior
Canons for our peace with God
Our relationship with others

Made flesh with the Christ,
the Emmanuel, the Great I am with us,
the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets
the Good Shepherd and ultimate judge
sealing the breach,
by example and sacrifice

Living the two prongs of the law
by deed and love
sacrifice and compassion
submitting all to the will of the Father
As we must
each day
To live the law
and inherit the kingdom.

11/25/05 13:00, edited 11/26/05 12:05

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 27,410+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Daily Bread

I was fed at your table today
the bread and wine nourished me
Quelled my heart’s hunger
and stilled my spirit
in three services in your house

Your sacrifice cleanses my sin
reorders my fate, now joined to you
in service and salvation
New life as your adopted brother

Thank you, my Lord
for your gift, your grace
Your life for me
and this whole world.

11/6/05 19:45

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 27,530+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Covenants

Words of heart and hope
shared and pondered
as brothers and sisters in praise
and prayer tonight

Our church owning our commitment
to God and one another
Remembering Joshua’s challenge
and higher stakes;
we are judged
by our own utterances

11/6/05 19:20
Inspired by the scripture reading at Sunday night’s Rejuvenation contemporary worship service at Wesley United Methodist Church, Concord, NH – Joshua 24:1-3a,14-25. Our worship leader had us break up into groups and write out covenants. I wrote this poem during the service, immediately after this exercise. Three of the ones that groups came up with are:
- “We promise to be aware of others needs, to pray for them, to use the individual gifts God has given us, to try to treasure each moment, to contribute our time to others, and to be active in the life of a community of faith.”
- “In faithfulness we will listen to you and keep our hearts open before you; receiving you grace and proclaiming Jesus Christ. We will commit all of our works to the building of your kingdom.”
- “We commit that everyday we will take time to be thankful, mindful and reflective of what have/God’s gifts.”

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Miranda purred

Miranda purred a greeting,
“Good morning sexy lady”
to my beautiful Ruth
that morning after sunrise

Forward in her youth,
happy to see this sensuality,
catlike grace, poise
and pure allure.

She blushed under
her dark skin
I laughed
at the truth
within the patter.

11/5/05 00:42

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 27,530+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Warm Rain

She stood there
still at the rail
at the edge of our balcony
our room in our slice of paradise

The warm Caribbean rain shower
sparkled on her bronze mocha skin
a smile of peace on her lips
and over her closed eyelids

drinking in the freedom
we shared on our island getaway.

11/5/05 00:33

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Stealth Deer

Just off the road
Summer dusk
in the northern woods
the eyes of the deer
caught for an instant
in the light of the high beams
Before melting back
into the trees and brush
Ephemeral forms
fleeting and in greyscale
just out of sight.

11/4/05 23:21

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Cathedral of Pine

On a floor of needles and leaves
I sat in a cathedral of pine
Five trees encircled my prayer
Limbs knitted like arms
wrapped around my reverie.

Walled off from the world around me
watched only by squirrels,
birds, salamanders, insects,
the other denizens of the
island in the lake

11/4/05 22:32

A hidden sanctuary for one
ringed by lady slippers, ferns, blueberry plants
A stillness in the chaos of that summer
somewhere to ponder, reflect,
slow down and commune
with the hand
of the creator.

11/4/05 23:08

edited December 26, 2014

a chapel prayer closet – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-chapel-prayer-closet-v3.html

(editing version 2 and original version)

edited February 23, 2014

“a chapel prayer closet – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-chapel-prayer-closet-v2.html

edited/new poem February 17, 2014

“a chapel prayer closet

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-chapel-prayer-closet.html

edited February 11, 2014

“A Cathedral of Pine – v3”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-cathedral-of-pine-v3.html

(editing the original again)

Edited May 4, 2013

“A Cathedral of Pine – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-cathedral-of-pine-v2.html

November 4, 2005

“A Cathedral of Pine”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2005/11/cathedral-of-pine.html

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 34,680+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Grandpa

Smell of oil, of chlorine
Burn the nose of this six year old
My grandfather in his domain
At the Y, where the guests never see

A handyman, mechanic, custodian
The king of the keys
The power behind the throne
Grease that keeps the gears
in motion.

11/4/05 21:55 – about my maternal grandfather, Laurence F. Ring, when he worked at the Westfield, MA YMCA. When he retired, he was replaced with three.

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Sunapee Street

Rug covered stairs
a landing above me
a place for the lead toy soldiers,
the ceramic cat,
small bottles
Playing by myself
in my grandparents’ home

A quiet special day out
on my own in their company
sharing precious time
vivid now decades hence

Tales of my dad’s youth
frozen in his room as a boy
rope pulley system
for the light’s chain
mounted still over his bed

Treasures in the attic
Her father’s desk
I now own
promised to me
that day

A nap by her side
after lunch of Ritz crackers in milk
My dear Jessie
magic lady of my heart
Thick glasses, but joy in her spirit,
with her flowers,
in her kitchen

11/4/05 21:50

Sunapee Street

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2005/11/sunapee-street.html

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, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 38,330+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Laughing in the Rain

No one’s timetable
governed our steps
up with the first light
long before the sun rose
over the slate blue ocean

Wandering between palm and bright blooms
in our own world
together

Watching the hummingbirds
high in the branches above us
camera catching the moments

Suddenly darkening clouds
to snap the equatorial heat
Laughing in the rain
without care or keeper

We were soaked
and in love
alone together
on the island

11/4/05 20:50

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Café du Monde

A plate of small hot beignets
coated in a snow squall
of light powdered sugar

a dense cup of oh so hot
coffee with chicory

at 3:00am, near Jackson Square

Jazz and spice in the air
Before last call,
in the Big Easy

As real now as that moment
Twelve years ago

Open again
after Katrina

11/4/05 20:40

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 20,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Pumpkin Massacre

He had a knife!
a willing accomplice
and three accessories before the fact

They didn't stand a chance,
their four young victims
that crisp day in October

The knife blade bit into
the firm ripe skin
Forming ghouls and ghosts
Glowing orange.
from within their hollow shells.

10/29/05 22:42

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Haddock Sky

Layers of clouds
grays and white living sky
with rich visual texture
Rippled screens of space
like the flesh of haddock steaks
overlaid autumnal blues
above fall foliage

10/29/05 22:26

Haddock Sky

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, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 38,200+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Framed Spaces

A row of picture frames
descends the stairway
from the upstairs to the living room
Four images frozen in time
preserved and presented
for friends and visitors

A fifth frame of wood and wire,
without glass or image,
hangs in space with the others
poised and ready
For another moment of her life
Mounted and preserved
on her wall

10/24/05 20:40

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Monday, October 03, 2005

School Picture Day - 9/30/05 (photos by Ruth)

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Fresh Harvest - Peppers picked at the Woodman Horticultural Farm, UNH, Durham, NH - 9/28/05

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 20,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Muses of Spain

Was it the warm winds down from the Pyrenees
Or maybe Poseidon's breath off the Mediterranean
That stirred the Spanish Muses,
Who whispered and giggle and tickled the ear
of the passionate Balkan son
To set his pen ablaze and spin his tales,
Paint his imagery,
Behind smoky haze and quenched by bitter elixirs
And sweet wines of the plains of Europa

September 28, 2005 10:33 (on receiving new poetry from a dear friend)

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Bumble Bee

In His Time

I am waiting on the Lord
For his answer to prayer
In His Time;
Not my own

Human passions
And concerns
Of providing for a family
Of paying the bills
Supplanted by an act of faith
A prayer for guidance
and providence
Guiding my feet and my path
again and for the first time

Wanting to be sure of my belief
The “believing is seeing”,
not the pragmatic,
“Seeing is believing”

Testing my mettle
For an answer
In His Time

September 27, 2005 14:14

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Friday, September 23, 2005

400 POEMS

With the last post, I have now put 400 of my poems on this site.

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Before the Baling

After the cutting
before the baling
a working field
waits for the late harvest

Narrow rows of green,
turning to gray,
course over the land
After the passing of the scythe,
the reaper's work

Hungry cows in the dairy barnyard
still munch and mull the September grasses
Soon they will know the bite of winter
when their feed
is this autumnal fuel

September 23, 2005 12:28

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 20,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

In Praise of Taciturn Yankees

Quiet, stoic granite men
Long in the land and happy for the stillness,
The solitude of the ancient hayfield,
the thick wood, the craggy shore, the stormy sea

Flinty like the earth
dependable as the seasons
Taciturn Yankees one and all
Of older stuff and remembering the creed
of holding the tongue, stiff upper lip
and shoulder to the task at hand
Idle hands they have not
And we are richer for it.

September 20, 2005 12:41 – While I was driving to work this morning on Rte 101 in NH, one of the NHPR reporters was talking about the new Encyclopedia of New England (http://www.unh.edu/news/news_releases/2005/september/em_050919encyclopedia.htm). They were commenting how New England isn’t just made up of maple syrup, town meetings, and taciturn Yankees.

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 23,200+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Pearls of Rain

Captured on a web in a yew bush in front of Wesley United Methodist Church, Concord, NH; September 17, 2005 - 2:00pm

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.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Walking with Paul

I wanted to call this “walking with the prophet”
Because I feel he was more like the exhorter Elijah
Guiding his path, putting the words in his mouth,
Not the reformed apostle of Christ

Week on week he marched us through
Each lesson crystallized in the living text
Of the epistle to the Romans
Leading to a new trail through Philippians
Starting next week

I could see the power, the joy
Welling up through the text, the common stories
The current times imbued with the ancient ones
Being brought with the unseen congregation in Rome
To a fuller understanding of his message
Then and now
For each of us

September 16, 2005 9:46

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

She's an Artist

Miss Erica is right
looking at the handiwork
of the spinster on the loom
rich clear lines of silk
spun for errant prey
and sheer pleasure
caught in the houselights
for a moment or two
but busy all night long
catching her dinner

September 13, 2005 19:45 (written while the photo uploaded... thank you dialup...)
(photo by Ray Foss)

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A New School

(a song for Erica)

I’m in a new school
I’m the new face
With my great style, I’m here
To brighten up the place

I have new friends to meet
to share a giggle and greet
My school is just down the block
With my determination, I can’t be beat

I’m a year older and wiser it’s true
Fourth grade and all of that
With it getting colder
I’ll soon be wearing a hat

New outfits and hair
To start the year
A knapsack too
To stow my gear

Down Cedar onto Beech
My school is in easy reach
I study hard, it’s not a quirk
Oh great, more homework…

September 13, 2005 16:44

Monday, September 12, 2005

The danger of enjoying closeup photography

Is that you can actually take such a shot (photo by Ray Foss)

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 20,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Google vision

(photos by Ray Foss)

Momma's First Day too - 9/10/05

We are all really proud of you honey!

We love you and support you as you start college

Friday, September 09, 2005

Shanequa, Erica & Shyanne - Going to School - 9/9/05

Shy Shy’s First Day

Hair just so in her pretty pig tails
Don’t you know
“How do I look, daddy?”
Drips from her lips

New dress so sharp
Brand new stiff before the first washing
Big shy sly grin on her face
Prancing in the office
Impatient for the beginning

Backpack with snack and juice
Ready to start her day
Fruit loops in her tummy
Smile for the camera,
Memorialized

We march down the street
She with her mommy
Big sissy on her own
Me with her little sister
Kindergarten awaits
On her first day.
Hurry up light.

September 9, 2005 11:12

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

A Mirage of Frozen Dew

Harkenings of memories and moments to come…
Summer leads to fall
Fog over the fields and marshes, the wet places, again
Dew so thick on the highway shoulder

Like wet frozen cumulous clouds,
or a cotton bowl roughly carded to cull the seeds,
the dew was caught in the course field grass
at the edge of the black,
lit white in the morning light,
a mirage of frozen dew
all too soon a reality

September 8, 2005 12:09 (title drafted 9/8/05 12:25am)

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 20,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Spider - St. Lucia - in the bush and on a hand

(photos by Ray Foss)

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

She is...

She is the other half
of who I am,
the part of me that truly believes
in me unconditionally,
the place in my heart that dreams
and soars above the day to day
ready for whatever the future holds
in God's plan
for us.
She is
my wife!

September 6, 2005 22:21

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Ruth in the Rain in St. Lucia

Rolling Stone

Like an army general on parade
reviewing the troops in the convoy
tooling down the highway into battle
I drove by the armada of trucks, working soldiers
Marching down the black asphalt
to toil in the fields of corporate battle,
almost watching for the salute,
as their driver’s heads turned left

Rolling stone, a flatbed trailer towed by a dump truck
a frozen army of roaming cornerstones
lined up in neat ordered rows
like soldiers in the D-Day landing craft
or those unearthed Chinese terracotta army men
with stories to tell of their exploits
if we could only hear the whispers of stone

That truck was in pursuit of an 18-wheeler hauling square pipe
and an asphalt tanker truck, carrying the new road with him, and
countless lesser support vehicles,
with their wares emblazoned on the sides,
banners held high of their regiments and their causes,
like the charges in Civil War reenactments.
A division of brothers in arms
making fast for their destination
each morning on the highway heading east

September 5, 2005 21:52 (about my ride to work on the morning on Auust 23, 2005, on Rte 101 Eastbound in NH, around exit 4)

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Miss Erica

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Shyanne

Shanequa

Planned Serendipity

We seem to be living
a life of planned serendipity,
scripted moments, rather than pure chance
the consequences of more than mere free will

We turned our choices over
in repeated moments of prayer and reflection
To let Your will be done through us

How blessed we feel when we see the fruits
The not so random experiences unfolding
before our marveling eyes.

Lessons in scripture, in the words of our pastors,
in the circumstances around us;
feeling our lives are part of your plan.

9/4/05 23:32

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 18,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Monday, January 02, 2006