A Violet Shawl

She sat beside me in the car
a dark skirt
a white, hand stitched blouse
with bright Andean characters, dolls
Sunlight poured through the windshield
making her violet shawl
drink it into the wool
radiating color,
a singular band of the spectrum
clear, bright violet
the outer band of the arc, the bow
living color,
wrapped around her shoulders

edited September 30, 2017

A Violet Shawl – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-violet-shawl-v5.html

edited July 11, 2015

A Violet Shawl – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-violet-shawl-v3.html

(editing original)

edited July 11, 2015

A Violet Shawl – v4

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-violet-shawl-v4.html

(editing version 2)

Edited December 15, 2013

A Violet Shawl – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-violet-shawl-v2.html

4/27/06 7:55pm

A Violet Shawl

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/04/violet-shawl.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, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 45,040 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

colors, creator, faith poetry, God, hands, king, light, poem, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, sing, white, wind,

#colors #creator #faith #God #hands #king #light #poem #poetry #sing #white #wind

A Taste of Yellow

Forsythia blooms
plucked from the bush
a sudden jolt
back to when I was six
walking to kindergarten
petals curl on my tongue
a taste of yellow
like the first time
forty years ago

4/27/06 7:15pm


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.

A Bursting of Green

Long dormant carpet of grey, of brown
parched and pending
poised for an awakening
showers and warming
a bursting of green
in the yard, the trees, my world
a different day,
from a single spring shower
on a world ready
for greening



4/27/06 7:30pm


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.

A Cup of Crimson

Take this cup from my mouth
step back from the journey, the road
the revelation of his fate
Like Socrates and his hemlock
brought to his own lips
a cup of crimson
a blood sacrifice
the Passover Lamb
blood shed
for me, for you
A parable in wine
a cup of crimson
shared at his supper
the table of remembrance
repeated and believed
an act of ritual and faith
in the communion

4/27/06 7:40pm

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 28,600+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

a body of rice

It was a pure moment
an instant never to be found again
a four year old’s faith
caught in my ear
in the snack aisle

A sleeve of rice cakes
seen for its essence
in a different place
broken by clergy
as the Body of Christ
for the wheat intolerant

My face broke into smile
before her question
caught too by her spirit
and her belief
in the transformation
within his blessing

4/27/06 7:46pm

Based on Shanequa’s question to me if this

was the body of Christ when we were at Market Basket

on April 22, 2006. She had assisted some weeks earlier at

setting up communion at the Rejuvenation service at our church.

She understood the elements were merely

bread and juice before the pastors’ blessing. 

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 29,660+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Specimen Moments

A radio show crackling in the car
talking about specimen days
days to remember, to treasure
But they have it wrong
have you seen the flash of a firefly
the flicker of a face in a flame
a tear course down her face
smile at a knock-knock joke
perfected by her four-year old tongue
It is the fleeting instant
that is to be saved and treasured

4/27/06 8:35pm
based on discussion on the Diane Rehm show of 6/8/05 at 11:42am, about the book, “Specimen Days”, by Michael Cunningham.


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.

Aristophanes for You

A famous Greek, a playwright of the Gods
a name from my scholastic memory, my past
now on my computer screen
in the fleeting instant
capturing my attention
the moment before the spam firewall
I glimpsed a message from an Aristophanes
flicker and die in the ether
crumbling bytes of my inbox cascade
What a rare treasure it would be
if the missive was
from his namesake

4/27/06 8:20pm

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.

Errant Planet

We are perched, walking on the edge
of an errant planet,
off-kilter and dizzy
wobbling off course
in its orbit
straying from the straight and narrow
the true path
following baser needs
and primal urges
shielding eyes from the glare
the stark light exposed
of the echo, the memory
the Word made flesh
the last truth
denied then too


4/27/06 8:50pm
title drafted 3/15/06 during Disciple I class

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.

Diaspora

Wheat among the Weeds
Diaspora out in the world
From the tabernacle to synagogues
from the sanctuary to the end of time
the believers, the chosen
living side by side
the lost and the last
those who will be gathered up
and those for the flames
the unquenchable fire
at the end of the age
before the rise
the full flowering
of the kingdom


4/27/06 9:15pm
started June 2005
see Matthew 13:24-40; Psalm 73; Esther 3:8a; Zechariah 7:11-15


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.

Poem titles drafted 4/24/06 8:45 to 9:00am

A Taste of Yellow
A Bursting of Green
A Cup of Crimson
a body of rice
A Violet Shawl


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.

Worms!!!

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.

A Different Anniversary

A year ago we completed a journey
of faith, of hope, of love
A different anniversary than our first

Our first, a four month ago,
was a first sharing of I do’s,
our joining before God and friends
under a snow filled sky
in God’s creation

Today is the first anniversary
of our covenant before You
in our house of faith
joining our hands and hearts
not in contract but in
loving covenant

How I love you more today
a richer, deeper commitment
a more mature love
as we continue our journey
in another season
together


April 23, 2006 8:10am


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.

Nature Walk

Out back, behind the yard
in the brush and scrub at the edge
a world unfolds for those willing
to stop and look, crunch and tread
where squirrel and ant, snake and fox
hunt and work, amongst the deadfall
Wonder of nature in the back, beyond
the cut lawn and past the leaf litter
a bend of a branch held by ivy
a curl of birch bark
a spider’s leg showing below the
lip of a fungus on an old trunk
patterns in the ground, beneath the
newness of spring in the woods
before the full greening of the
new shoots and leaves
in between time in early April
in New Hampshire


April 22, 2006 9:48pm, about the Saturday before Easter, April 15, 2006, Claremont, NH

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.

Darks, Whites, and … Pinks

A routine task made different
with three little girls in the house

For a man who learned
laundry “skills” in college,
long before boys took Home Ec.

We were lucky when there was more
than a single load
(that didn’t cause the washer to tilt)

Now with a four, five, and nine year old
cluster of little princesses
It is darks, whites, and pinks
when I sort their clothes

Separate baskets, separate settings,
for pink clothes –
Capris, and “blouses”, and skorts,
Oh My!

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

edited January 12, 2019

Darks, Whites, and Pinks – v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2019/01/darks-whites-and-pinks-v3.html
edited June 15, 2014

Darks, Whites, and Pinks – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/darks-whites-and-pinks-v2.html

Father’s Day

4/20/06 3:00pm

Darks, Whites, and Pinks

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/04/darks-whites-and-pinks.html

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 48,420 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

daughter, Erica, faith, Family, God, home, house, pink, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Shanequa, Shyanne, sing, white, America, Father’s Day, love, happiness, joy, laundry,

#daughter #Erica #faith #Family #God #home #house #pink #poetry #Shanequa #Shyanne #sing #colors #laundry #America #FathersDay #love #happiness #joy #proud #father #housework #HomeEc 

A Certain Male Timbre

The words were different,
not just in amplitude
with more voices raised in the same
solemn reverent ancient prayer

No it was the certain male timbre
reverberating off the timbers of the vaulted ceiling
echoing off the cinder walls, the pews,
a different tone, with more bass
Joined in His model prayer
role models missing too often
on other Sunday morns

The pater noster again
Marking the unity in the Easter morning
when fathers join mothers and children
dressed all in new bright finery
adding voice and a sharing
in the common elements
the familiar memorized words
of our Lord and Savior


Matthew 6:9-13
April 16, 2006 21:45

The First Human Voice

It was not one of His friends, one of His followers

that uttered His name for the first time

in this Good News

No, no one who loved Him

A foreign occupier, an oppressor

His executioner, the tool of God

the mechanic at the cross

After the veil was torn

Calling Him by His name

Who He was

The Son of God

A Centurion on his watch

saw what Peter and John

couldn’t see, didn’t name

Not Teacher, not Messiah;

The Son of God

A name spoken only before

by God, by He himself,

by silenced demons not of this world

Known at that moment first and clearly

by a Gentile, who believed, when he saw

The veil lifted from his eyes

a gift of clarity

for us to know

================

edited March 8, 2018

The First Human Voice – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-first-human-voice-v2.html

after finding this poem in a list of my popular poems

on Literary Devices site about my poetry

https://literarydevices.net/raymond-a-foss/

April 7, 2006 10:04

The First Human Voice

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.jp/2006/04/first-human-voice.html

Mark 15:39

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 46,470 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Christ, Faith, friends, gentile, gifts, God, Spirit, gospel, hope, John 10, love, grace, sacrifice, centurion, Mark 15, Messiah, Peter, savior, son, teacher, voice,

#child #Christ #Faith #friends #gentile #gifts #God #Spirit #gospel #hope #John10 #love #grace #sacrifice #centurion #Mark15 #Messiah #Methodist #Peter #savior #son #teacher #voice #truth #identity #Messiah

Listen To My Children Crying

Can’t you hear my children crying?
In your neighborhoods and around the world.
Can’t you hear my children crying?
For justice in their oppression and pain.
Can’t you hear my children crying?
For help from those who know the truth.
Can’t you hear my children crying?

There are children in the street,
With not enough to eat.
Can’t you hear my children crying?
There is injustice running wild,
Can’t you see this my child?
Can’t you hear them crying?

You have been sent on a mission,
To care for your brothers and sisters.
To right the wrongs of those with no voice.
They are there not by their choice.
Can’t you hear my children crying?

Why do you turn away?
They need your help not tomorrow but today!
Can’t you hear my children crying?
Why are they dying?


Ruth L. Foss
March 1, 2006
Simulation Project
Written in Cuernavaca
During Liberation Theology Retreat

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 20,640+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Valentine’s Day 2006

To my beautiful wife,


When I read 1 Cor. 13:1-7, I think of you.
I alternate “you” for “love” and feel the same.
You are patient, you are kind; you
believe all things, hope all things.
If I have faith, so as to move mountains,
but have not you, I am nothing.

Your love, you, mean so much to me,
so much more to me than anyone else of earth.
I cherish the minutes we have together
and the life we share.
May God grant us a long life as husband and wife
and His peace, through whatever trials we face,
because He has plans for us before we sleep.
He has given us many gifts already,
but the greatest is love.


Love,
Ray


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.

Bark

A living Ansel Adams tableau
white birches stretching heavenward
over a winter scene of white on white
A monochromatic world too bright
for my eyes behind the photogray lenses
the black of the bark outlines edges
differences in the still wood
curls and sheets on the ground too
give depth and form, to add dimension
planes of space
preserved in my memory

2/25/06 21:13

Bark

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/02/bark.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 37,500+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Curled

A bit of nature’s sculpture
out in the northern woods
a solitary beech leaf
brown and curled around the stem
defying the winter cold and ice
on display against a field of white
and a sky of blue
in the clear crisp air


2/25/06 20:45
North Conway, NH, January, 1999

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.

Fan Brush

A bright clear blue day in January
after a cold snowfall overnight
off the road, only glimpsed momentarily
as I drove by,
a Currier and Ives drawing,
a snapshot in my mind

A river, a brook really,
black water and snow covered stones
framed by pines
heavy with light snow
painted on the scene,
acrylic and oil paints
spread with spatula, knife
and fan brush


2/25/06 20:30

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.

Snapped

Among the pens and pencils
in my desk drawer
a piece of eternity fractured and frozen
brings me to that second,
that instant of force,
when motion ceased
an actor in the drama
of that time and place
sheared off
as surely as his life
was cut short


2/25/06 20:20
The top half of the key to my father’s Honda Accord snapped off, the rest still in the useless ignition, after the fatal crash 2/14/1991 19:02. Like his watch and glasses, it ended up in the rear of the car.

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.

Chatter

A long time ago, when I was young,
Back before I learned to respect
the realities of heat exchange
and the temperature of the Atlantic
in Northern New England, on the coast of Maine
my brother and I went swimming at Wells Beach

The day was in August,
sand burnt my feet,
the water was “refreshing”
until my feet went numb

Minutes later my lips were blue, my skin was white
before I turned red as feeling returned
to my extremities

We shook and chattered
giggling under the blankets
happy as only kids are
but not yet ready
for another dip


2/25/06 20:15


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.

Walking

We are all called
to step out of the boat
walk on the tightrope without a net
risk all by faith.
More than the call to “follow me”.
This is the singular call heard
by Peter alone of the twelve
the ultimate test
to focus on the master
amidst the noise of the winds
our own storms around us
that make us sink
without His father’s grace

2/25/06 19:55
Matthew 14:22-33


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 18,760+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Crab

How fast can your move backward
while in a crouched position
with your eye in the viewfinder
of a manual camera?
Faster than you would think,
when you realize an alligator,
who was your intended subject,
charges our of the water
up the bank at you,
at full speed.


2/25/06 19:30
Hilton Head Island, August 1988.

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.

Urquhart

The ruins of red brick and stone
just above the surface of the loch
walk down to the shore, by the edge
I stared out into the mist
hanging over the water

She was out there, but invisible to me
I sensed her presence
hidden in the fog, of time,
the peated deep,
the enlightened “reality” of science.
How sad for us

2/25/06 19:05

Urughart

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/02/urquhart.html

Standing on the edge of Loch Ness, 1999

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2005/08/loch-ness.html

Meeting Grounds

Reverend Brown told me some of the stories
the history of these hallowed grounds
Where generations pitched their tents
around the steel and glass tabernacle
at the camp meeting grounds

Small cottages followed, on the same plots
drawn year after year
to hear our faith, the transformation
the power of grace to save
saints and sinners alike

December 19, 2021

Small, by design

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/12/small-by-design.html

&

2/25/06 19:00

Meeting Grounds

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/02/meeting-grounds.html

Camp Meeting Grounds, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard

Note added - 6/15/06 -
"Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Area - MVCMA, well known for the 315 Gingerbread cottages and the historic Tabernacle that comprise the campground, grew out of the religious camp meeting movement of the 19th century. The first camp meeting in Oak Bluffs was held in 1835. The camp meeting movement and the camp meetings on Martha’s Vineyard grew substantially through the years, with many thousands in attendance for the religious services.
The MVCMA has held religious services and a wide variety of special programs on a continuous basis every summer since 1835. The unique character of the Campground, a heritage from a different era, has been preserved and treasured by generations of tent-dwellers and cottage owners for over 170 years. On April 5, 2005, The MVCMA was officially designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior."

&

edited April 14, 2015

Cottages – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/04/cottages-v2.html

9/3/04 22:45

Cottages

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/09/cottages.html

summer of 1995

 

 

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

 

America, beach, creator, Faith, Family, God, home, hope, joy, July, Martha's Vineyard, Menemsha, Nature, New Hampshire, poem, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, sky, sun,

 

#America #beach #Family #God #home #MarthasVineyard #Menemsha #Nature #poem #poetry #sky #sun

 

poetry, Family, ferry, Martha's Vineyard, Poetry Where You Live, summer, Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Kevin Bacon, movies,

 

#poetry #summer #ferry #Vineyard #Family #hope #MarthasVineyard #KevinBacon #movies

 

bread of life, brown, creator, Faith, Family, God, history, hope, Martha's Vineyard, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, sermon, summer, United Methodist, vine, worship, yard, UMC, Oak Bluffs,

 

#breadoflife #creator #Faith #Family #God #history #hope #MarthasVineyard #Methodist #poetry #senses #Sermon #sound #summer #vine #worship #UMC

 

 

A Mere Breath

Surely we are a mere breath,
we are dust,
forgettable blades of grass
Our lives whispers, moments of time
in the mind of God
Grains in the continuum
of eternity
Our daily struggles
Meaningless, nothing
alongside infinity


2/25/06 18:45
Psalm 39:11c & Psalm 103:14-16

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 25,930+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Chill

I still can remember
it was like night and day
an instant of madness
changed the lives of thousands
the millions of our country
who lost a piece of freedom
a bit of innocence

Bags searched, cameras checked
eyes watching for more,
who is friend and who is foe.
A chill fell over the place
security more than sport
the sudden, urgent focus
so wrong but so true –
terror changed us all.


2/25/06 18:38
About what it was like in Atlanta at the Olympics in 1996 on the morning after the Olympic Park Bombing 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.

Dunes

An old weathered section of snow fencing

half buried in the lee of the dune

gray skin gnarled by wind and water

saw grass and beach plum bloom

intertwined with the rusted wire

holding the slats of the fence

flip flops and sandals

lined up along the path

leading to the Atlantic

warm white sand drifted

mirroring the swells and troughs

undulating offshore

under la luna’s spell

2/25/06 18:00

Dunes

Martha’s Vineyard, ca 1995

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 37,080+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

450 poems posted

With the last batch, 451 poems have been posted to the site, and I have now written a total of 548 poems, all but two since April, 2000.

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.

Mexico

You have been on my mind, constantly, urgently, tenderly.
We are miles apart, time zones away;
but you are with me still, in the smiles of their faces
in the moments we have shared
the videotape of our wedding that made me cry again
when I watched it in our living room.
Hearing once more our words of love,
of a covenant, a commitment before dad and God

How easy it is, to say "I love you" over the crackling wire
the echo of your voice on the speaker
It brings you home for those precious seconds
giving me a foretaste of your return
how close I will hold you.
How much I need you, with me


February 24, 2006 14:05

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

Jesus’ Eyes

Whatever he looked like,
and we aren’t told,
she said he must have had
beautiful eyes

Eyes to be drunk in,
along with his message
of equality, of love
Warm gentle eyes
looking tenderly into your soul
our young bachelor servant king

The one with so many women followers
in a time when women weren’t seen
or heard in the gate
Revealed to them alone
in shimmering light

Planting himself in their
good, fertile soil
sitting at his feet
longing to be with him
and his giving eyes


2/13/06 13:33

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 29,660+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Carolina Summer

A cord of ten brown pelicans
snaked through the hot air
cutting the shimmering heat
almost kissing the skin of the ocean
just off my stretch of sand
my piece of solitude
off the barrier island
that Carolina summer
almost twenty years ago


2/13/06 16:15
August 1988, Hilton Head Island


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.

With Authority

The message is unknown; unimportant
He spoke with authority.
Now that was the thing
The real message in the Word
why the story is recorded
left for us to ponder
and to cherish

He, though untrained, unschooled,
spoke with power, with authority
not like the elite
who spoke the cold words,
of their law, the unflinching rules

He came to teach
a new message
the true meaning, the spirit
discerning the heart of God
hidden in the words on the page

Speaking with power,
with authority, with wisdom
for those who will listen
to his words of parable,
of fulfillment, of love.


2/13/06 13:42
Mark 1:21-22


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.

Dipped Candles

Fed by the slack eddies
by the frozen shore
grew a chain
row on row, layer by layer
of hand dipped candles
of ice and frost

Suspended in and above the surface
of the brook and bank
flowing toward the bridge

A branch hovering over the water
the structure, the ceiling
on which the stalactites form
held in place
while the cold reigns.


2/13/06 13:19

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

His Image

Like the hidden message
lost in the scrolls
We aren’t told
what he looked like
Esau had his hairy arms
Samson had his strength
John ate locusts and worn skins
But He isn’t described

We are able to picture Him
as we choose
as we need to
to hear his message
cope with the incomprehensible
relate to the humanity
of the Holy.


2/13/06 16:21
Mark 1:21-22

The Rock

(and stumbling block)

For a fleeting moment
he was the only other one
able, by faith,
to exceed his imagination
his own failings,
his own perceived limitations
the very thing that makes him
a perfect candidate
So human
For his ultimate call

Able to step out and walk
with immediate confidence
at his master’s call
to defy physics and logic
to walk on liquid water,
while he believed.


2/13/06 16:29
Matthew 14:28-29.


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

Paradise Sunset

From a pure royal blue, to a spectrum of rust
pale canary yellow,
bleeds to burgundy and finally cobalt
sudden sunset between
the twin pitons

The warm leeward breath
rising up from the ocean’s surface
wafting up the slope
of the volcanic ridge

Rich lush greens
sweet fragrance on the tropical breeze
Air wet at dusk
falling through the dewpoint

Dark wrapping us like a blanket
looking out on the now placid sea.
Weak light of civilization
hidden behind, beyond the road below.

Edited August 9, 2012

“Paradise Sunset – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/08/paradise-sunset-v2.html

2/14/06 22:10

“Paradise Sunset”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/02/paradise-sunset.html

Honeymoon - April 2005

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 37,160+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Ten Maidens

Five of ten enter by the narrow gate
the rest are caught asleep, unprepared
lamps empty, without their oil
in the dark, when He comes
a thief in the night

Eternal vigilance, a price to pay
for keys to the kingdom
the golden ticket
Waiting in faith
the call of the trumpet
the bridegroom in glory
ready for the happily ever after

edited January 11, 2015

Ten Maidens -  v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/ten-maidens-v2.html

2/14/06 21:27

Ten Maidens

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/02/ten-maidens.html

Matthew 25:1-13

&

edited January 11, 2015

the epiphany of the maidens – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-epiphany-of-maidens-v2.html

January 6, 2015

the epiphany of the maidens

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-epiphany-of-maidens.html

Matthew 25:1-13

only five were saved

January 6, 2015

the epiphany of the one leper

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-epiphany-of-one-leper.html

Luke 17:11-19

only one of the ten lepers

stopped to praise God for their healing

Worship Theme: Epiphany Sunday

Matthew 2:1-12 NIV

Luke 2:22-40 NIV

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epiphany

Epiphany Sunday

Children’s Message

Mystery box

-          Winnie the Pooh security blanket

-          borrowed from Nolan Howes

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=625529090886783&id=174161846023512

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/childrens-sermon-security-blanket-by.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/551850267852148736

by Pastor Ruth Foss

communion

sermon “I Could Have Had A V-8. . . “

http://pstruthsermons.blogspot.com/2015/01/i-could-have-had-v8.html

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=625224740917218&id=174161846023512

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/sermon-i-could-have-had-v8-by-pastor.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/551800154131804160

by Pastor Ruth Foss

https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss

http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss

http://www.pstruthsermons.blogspot.com

sermon blog

http://www.pstrruthfoss.blogspot.com

meditation blog

http://pstrfoss.wordpress.com/

“God’s Whisper” blog

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stetson-Memorial-United-Methodist-Church/174161846023512

Epiphany Sunday

January 4, 2015

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 35,100+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.