A Lawyerly Question

It always seems, wherever I turn
we are the bad guys, the ones in the way
the ones asking Him questions, pressing for
the new law, testing the assertions,
learning the edges, the words,
“Who is our neighbor”, a logical question
Hardly worth casting aspersions over.
It was just the definition of the term of art,
the nuanced word thrown by Him into the mix
a new test of faith, of living the law of Moses,
of living the good life, the life well blessed
earning passage from Sheol, beyond the grave
the end of their days. It wasn’t a test so much
as a questioning for knowledge, learning what
He meant by the two commandments, replacing
the older ten and the laws, regulations, rules
for life, layer on layer, parsed and teased,
as they are still. Rabbinical interpretation,
the lawyers, the scribes, just doing their best
to live the life of a religious man
asking to know, the bargain, the balance,
the other side of the equation
words to live by, words of power

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

edited August 7, 2019

A Lawerly Question – v2

November 18, 2006 22:28

A Lawyerly Question

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/11/lawyerly-question.html

Luke 10:35-37

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 51,300+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

brother, Faith, Family, God, Good Samaritan, Law, life, Luke 10, Moses, neighbor, sing, sister, Ten Commandments, the word, way,

#brother #Faith #Family #God #GoodSamaritan #Law #life #Luke10 #Moses #neighbor #sing #sister #TenCommandments #theword #way

A Hard Winter

Well, they talk of woolly-bear caterpillars
which is it, wide brown or wide orange stripes
or maybe it is when we have a lot of rain
something warns us, tells us that there
will be a hard winter
I’m worried about the squirrels in our yard
They are far too fat, far too ready for a long,
long cold white winter, ready for hibernation
Sitting in the yard, not going up on the table
any longer. No, they don’t run for the peanuts
They look at us, and demand to be fed,
saunter over, dare us to come over,
they are the signals, the indicators, for me
Oh it is going to be a hard winter
The squirrels are fat and surly.


November 18, 2006 21:08

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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Places of Refuge

Places of solace,
of sanctuary,
isolation,
of refuge

Places out alone
alone in spaces
places in nature
by the still waters of the lake
walking deep in the winter wood
in contemplation by the sea
under a moonlit star filled sky
beneath the colored canopy of fall
in the smaller places
the smaller spaces
captured by the lens

Each a place of refuge
of reflection, of renewal
of regeneration
of saving grace

November 17, 2006 20:48

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 28,720+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live. 

A Valley of Pine

Southbound this morning
a valley of pine
perpendicular and
far down below on my right
over the bridge, beside the canopy
the treetops
Ancient pines, framing a
meandering brook, hidden
in the morning fog
Black water, grey green
walls of the valley
a picture captured
as I drive by


November 16, 2006 21:50, edited 11/17/06 13:19
The view from the Merrill’s Marauders’ Bridge
http://www.marauder.org/marauder.htm

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 34,500+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Sharing Verses

We were there for another,
very different purpose,
An attorney telling a client,
jailed and separate from family,
from friends, from the world
Telling her the change in plan
the court case dropped
the move complete
We talked easy, freely, about faith
about the word, about reading
the word, finding passages we share
in the Psalms, in Ephesians,
She getting more freedom,
to worship, me seeing more words
feeling drawn to write, both
because of spending time
in the words of God, of the prophets
of the apostles, the words that
strengthen us, guide us, lead us
to different paths. Glad to share
to enjoy a moment of grace
even inside the walls, thick,
the heavy doors, the confinement
But He is there with us
in the sharing of the verses
and the comfort in the words.

November 15, 2006 21:18


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 19,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Not What He Asked For

We walked from court,
attorney and client,
He had a big grin on his face
good thing, since he didn’t get
no he didn’t get what he asked for
He got what he wanted
Someone to be his champion,
a judge to hear his plea
an ex ready to work with him
and his kids will get what they need
No he didn’t get what he wanted;
but he said I knocked it out of the park
So he was happy and so was I
He was off to have a beer
I was off to court again

November 15, 2006 18:52



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 19,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Being Known in the Gate

Meeting, greeting, knowing the crowd
the adversaries, the allies, the seemingly neutrals
the advocates, the prosecutors, the clerks
the officers of the court, the sentries at the gate
Being known in the arena, in the meeting rooms,
in the court; at ease among the denizens,
the players, each with their part on this small stage
Bantering, expanding the circle, sharing,
enjoying the familial feel, being known

November 15, 2006 13:47
Proverbs 31:23

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 20,790+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Her Words

Her words were for me
the reason I do this, why I care
go into the ring, fight
Because I can help, stitch the bonds
broken by neglect, by accusation,
by overreach, by excess.
By her words, of thanks,
of acknowledgement, forcing me to hear
I knew I had done the right
Stood beside her,
made a difference, for her,
for them, for all of them
Gave them another chance
to be a family, again


November 14, 2006 22:46


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Withdrawn

Petitions withdrawn
no hearing, just gone
a family can breath
again, move on
with their lives,
spend time together
without intrusion,
without bending
to other wills
heal the wounds
of the family tree
laugh and cry
and protect
those kids

November 14, 2006 22:40


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 19,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Call Affirmed

They heard His call through her
Knowing she was asked, by the Creator
to follow this path, at this time in her life
this season to grow, in faith and commitment
to pursue the ministry, the pulpit, the servanthood
another affirmation, like in the class, in the chapel
in the words of the congregants, knowing too
that the words she shared were His, that the voice
speaking was one speaking through her, using her
a vessel, a body in service, doing the work, the urgent
the necessary work of the kingdom, now, in this place
She shared herself and they saw her faith, her joy
Questions asked and answered, concerns allayed
Moving forward, another step farther from the boat
out onto the cold water of the North Atlantic
At least Peter was in the Sea of Galilee
and his sight was on the living word
But stride she does, being His feet
following his path, being the servant,
the teacher, the shepherd, already
Preparing for the next day of her life
Now that she doesn’t have to change course
Because they heard her call too

November 14, 2006 22:28


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 20,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Sitting at my Desk

The girls at school, the coffee finished
the news scanned, the day begun
papers in folders, in piles, ready for review
to find the words, the language,
the winning arguments, the fine details
that make the difference for one client,
one client at a time, one issue, one claim
one knitting of the pieces into a story
the story of their lives
compelling and convincing, the judge

November 14, 2006 8:37


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 19,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Before the Committee

She will be there, standing before the committee
telling her story, the path that brought her there
before those who would sit in judgment, elders
leaders of the faith in our place, those
called to the path before her, those asked
to represent the laity, sitting judging the call
the still small voice she heard, and answered
Choose me, Lord, I will go
So here she is, another hurdle, another step
on the path laid out before her
Stepping through the threshold
up over the gunnels, out onto the water
staring straight ahead, at Him
knowing she can walk where he tread
feel the waves between her toes
wearing the teachers sandals,
walking in His footsteps
being His feet

November 13, 2006 22:23


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 19,830+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Gray Day

Driving in town, between the drops of rain
watch the people scurry, trudge, dash, between
the buildings, hunker down at the crosswalks
eyes the passing cars, the growing puddles
avoid the splash, the spray, bend to the will
of the weather a bit, respect the rain, this late fall
feel the cold, the damp, ooze into you, bleed heat
drench the sweatshirt, the dead leaf litter
ponder the hamsters on their treadmills,
their appointed rounds, their daily grind
race to court, to bank, to the office
dry again inside, but a gray day


November 13, 2006 13:25


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 20,790+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Feeling the Ancient Words

Urging a blessing on a humble table
using the litany we know so well,
the words He used, the night
He shared that table,
with the first twelve,
That Holy Thursday
The bread, the wine,
Symbols of the harvest,
the fruits of the soil
Symbols too of His body, His blood
The Passover Lamb a human sacrifice
Given on the cross for us
The words of remembrance, they hurt
Hurt when I consider my sin, His pain
But the words heal too
Heal when I listen, hear the words –
“Broken for you”.
For me, to save me,
A smile grows on my face as
I dip the bread, Eat the feast
In His House this night
His offering
saves me

November 12, 2006 22:27


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Loyalty and Goodness

Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth
Three who together give us a lesson,
a teaching, an example
of loyalty and goodness,
of covenant and sacrament,
of sacrifice and service.
Of doing the right thing, the just,
to redeem the Bitter
back to Pleasant.
To give hope,
where there was despair
to redeem by faith

November 12, 2006 22:20
The Book of 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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Faith of a Mustard Tree

She wonders if I believe the words I write
about her faith, her beliefs, her love of God
Her submission to the call she feels, deep within
Still small voice speaking to her, directly,
in the wee hours of the morning,
before the house awakes, before the distractions
of the day, of daily life, create a din to drown out
quiet guiding words of calling, calling her now
still small voice, nudging her from complacency
to schooling, to inquiry, to speaking, to proclaiming
to ministry, in the church, in the half-way house,
into the hearts of family, of friends, of strangers
in school, on the street, in the words I write and share
throughout the web,
the connectedness of the modern age
Sharing the story, the truth, of her boundless faith
the courage to walk in that faith into the world
into the future with certainty of purpose
and even when not, to continue on the path
laid out before her, to walk in faith
Faith like a mustard tree

November 12, 2006 14:17, edited 14:35
Matthew 17:19-20 & Luke 17:5-6

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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Single Sin Sacrifice

We all sin, we all fall short, we all need grace
grace boundless and unending, grace to redeem
to bring us back to our creator, to our God
from whom we are estranged, by the nature of man
the way we were wired, it would seem
Free will to make bad choices, century on century,
age on age we have, made the same bad choices,
breaking covenant after covenant with the most high
the One who has kept faith,
has honored each covenant made
The law required a sacrifice, the priest into the
holy of holies, behind the curtain, blood spilt for another year
another season of sin, of falling short as a person, as a people
as peoples of God, repenting for what we had done,
for what we would do again, an endless cycle of atonement
A new covenant, by the Word Made Flesh, a single offering,
the priest and lamb as one, offering himself, pure and white
blazing, brilliant, as on the Mountain, spilling his own offering
his own blood, for those would could not, redeeming all
with a single act of sacrifice, of atonement, of offering
Once and for all time, from the foundation to the end of the age
Until he returns in Glory, at the trumpet call
We wait still, eagerly, by faith

November 12, 2006 14:00
Hebrews 8-11:4


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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Husband for Ruth

She needed to be protected,
provided for, to provide for Naomi,
to be the best example of the converted;
how better, how fitting, the grandmother
the ancestor of a King, a King for the people
the people of God, who needed a King
because they could not follow God as their King
She was the transitional figure,
the foreign covenant maker
the human who offered all, like the creator
to be of her blood, their people would be her people
their god her God
She would turn from her people, her lands
She would follow in the fields,
gleaning behind the reapers;
She would lay down with a stranger
she would bear a son
She would bring honor in the gate
and a King for her new people
A King that would be the dynasty,
the line from which the Lamb
would come,
with a new covenant
for all

November 12, 2006 13:29
The Book of Ruth 1-4


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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

2004 - Durham

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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Her Faith

Like a second layer of skin is her faith
right out there, the outer edge of her
exuding from her pores, from her being
Proclaiming the good news, living the Word
sharing her faith, her joy, not letting the world,
life’s little problems steal her joy
Being the faith she believes, sharing her gifts
her spirit, His grace, answering His call
open and honest, ready to do His work
Be His hands, now

November 11, 2006 19:35
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/11/her-faith.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 30,790+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Preaching the Revelation

She wasn’t reading the words on the page
not to herself at least, she was preaching from the Book
she was in the spirit, rising up to the top,
preaching to the mountaintops,
Proclaiming, with passion, with energy
with excitement, the words of the Revelation
the coming of the end times, let them come,
Let us be ready for that moment,
Let the rider come, let him find us all,
awake, with arms and hearts wide open
Eager for the call, for the invitation to the banquet;
for the coming of the rider, his fiery eyes, his horse,
his robe, dipped in blood, his sword at the ready
to bring low the mighty, to balance the scales,
to battle the armies that will rise to fight
vanquish them all, as is written
before the final story, the ending of the age
Raising her voice, with the reading of the words
the knowing of the victory, the faith in the good news
the revelation of our saving,
and welcome by the bridegroom
all clothed in fine linen, bright and pure

November 11, 2006 19:15
Revelations 19:6-16


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Coming to Enjoy Revelations

All it takes is faith, real faith
and there is no darkness, no fear
in the coming judgment, the winnowing fork
the fiery furnace, the final gleaning
no threat, no challenge,
Just joy, at the coming, the revelation
the revealing of the glory of the Lord
the new age dawning before us
the wait over for all his people, the ones
called by name, by the trumpet blasts
Hearing our Master’s voice, seeing
the face of our brother, our savior
walking with him into the new Jerusalem
finding our home, in the kingdom
Walking the streets of gold,
finding the saints what walked before us
Let it come!

November 11, 2006 15:24


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Eagerly Awaiting Him – edited 3

The Return of the King
And his reapers
Gathering in one
Eagerly waiting his return
No more sin, no more struggles
A rider on the white horse
Herald of the new age
Bring on the coming
The return of the Savior
Not to atone, not to suffer.
To gather in his sheep

November 11, 2006 8:02, edited 15:19
Hebrews 9:24-28


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Eagerly Awaiting Him - edited 2

The Return of the King
And his reapers
Gathering in ones
Eagerly waiting his return
No more sin, no more struggles
A rider on the white horse
Herald of the new age
Bring on the coming
The return of the Savior
Not to atone, not to suffer.
To gather in his sheep

November 11, 2006 8:02, edited 15:14
Hebrews 9:24-28

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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Eagerly Awaiting Him - edited 1

The Return of the King
And his reapers
Gathering in the ones
Eagerly waiting his return
No more sin, no more struggles
A rider on the white horse
Herald of the new age
Bring on the coming
The return of the Savior
Not to atone, not to suffer.
To gather in his sheep

November 11, 2006 8:02, edited 8:06
Hebrews 9:24-28


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Eagerly Awaiting Him

The Return of the King
And his reapers
Gathering in the one
Eagerly waiting his return
No more sin, no more struggles
A rider on the white horse
Herald of the new age
Bring on the coming
The return of the Savior
Not to atone, not to suffer.
To gather in his sheep

November 11, 2006 8:02
Hebrews 9:24-28


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Blogs of Note

When you get a chance, check out the Blogs of Note. Currently, there is one of the Blogs of Note called "Adopt a Microbe", http://adoptamicrobe.blogspot.com/, which is very cute.

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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Walmart Moment

At the end of the day
that started with a question
and an answer from your lips

A special moment,
shared under the fluorescent lights
of the Wal-mart, by the jewelry counter
a moment of spontaneity, doing it right
asking the clerk to back away
after the selection made
not caring who saw

On my knee at ten minutes
before midnight,
asking again, this time
with a diamond ring
to share my life
and be my wife

November 9, 2006 21:20

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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Fuzzy Orange Band

A question, an important question
Framed and pregnant in my mind
had to wait a little longer for its asking

I went downstairs, to the bathroom,
with an idea, a thought, a scheme, a plan
A fuzzy orange pony tail holder,
like a fabric woolly bear caterpillar
That would do, the perfect choice

Running back up to you, with excitement
laughter in my smile, to ask you
to ask you the question, the one we had discussed
from the moment of our courtship, the one
we knew would come sooner than for some

My question two years ago today
Our covenant sealed, after your answer
with a fuzzy orange band

November 9, 2006 20:22


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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Book of Ruth

A soliloquy on the meaning, the placement
the position of the Book of Ruth,
a monologue on the transition, the turning
from the Judges to the Kings,
with a pause on the genealogy, the sacred
the holy connection of the dynasty,
in a story of covenant, of strangers, outcasts
the lowly widows, foreigner and mother-in-law
bound by a sacrificial covenant, a joining of lines
and lives that would create a line to the King
to David, her progeny, and from him to the Christ
the final King of the Jews; but not before her story
her faith, her loyalty, her bond, her covenant
with Naomi, with her people, the path
she would take, they would walk, she would follow
to the land of her people, the land not her own

November 8, 2006 23:42
On my talk at the start of the November 5, 2006
Sunday School class for the Middle High group
on Ruth 1:1-18


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Jesus Began to Weep

We heard a story, a very personal, very public story
of the friend who died, the friends who didn’t understand
didn’t comprehend who he was,
what his personage meant, the power he had
over life, over death, over our lives
He wept for our ignorance, our unbelief,
the corruption of the conserver mentality of the powers that be
because they want to remain the powers that be
He wept for the friend who had to die, who must be
sacrificed, as he would be, so we would see, understand
be illuminated to who he was, because we were too weak
to hear and believe. He wept for the sisters
He wept for the brothers who followed him
He wept for the elders; maybe, just maybe, he wept for himself
Jesus began to weep, tears that ultimately healed

November 8, 2006 1:17am, about the sermon by the Reverend Peter Hey, Wesley United Methodist Church, November 5, 2006
John 11:32-44
35 Jesus began to weep.

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 30,770+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live. 

Awakening Wall

Driving in the fall ‘morn, light filtering
into the clearing wood; I spied a wall
awakening from its slumber,
no longer shrouded
along its course by brush and branch,
cleared away by ax and saw, felled and hauled
to make someone’s home warmer, this winter

The work of a farmer, a team probably, so long ago
when the land was more field than forest,
before we moved to the cities
and the land went fallow,
returned to the wood it once was
and stone walls were hidden and forgotten
parsed and bisected land
became a forest once more

Now it is visible, a wall without reason
a relic in season, exposed and stark
until snow hides its course

November 5, 2006 17:12


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 19,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Silence before the Applause

There was a silence, before the applause
this morning in church, after the fourteen voices,
the lone trumpet, and pianoforte
finished the prayerful hymn,
“Rise Up, O Saints of God”, this holy day,
this All Saints Day, a day to remember those
those that had gone before, that held up
that did the work of the gospel, spreading his
Good news to earlier disciples, whose work is done
who have gone to their reward,
How beautiful was the silence, the hum of the strings
of the piano, the echo of their voices
off the vaulted ceiling,
high above us in the wooden pews
A reverent silence, befitting the hymn,
feeling the words in our chests,
the memory in our hearts
of the saints of our faith

November 5, 2006 16:14


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 19,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

White Breast

It was the white breast of the raptor,
stoic in the aged tree
sitting motionless,
drinking in the light of the sun
the warmth of its rays,
high up in the canopy of the lone elm,
bare of leaves this morning
next to the interstate, ready for the
heat to create thermals to soar on
All of us turned to look, as I curved
off the exit ramp, the cloverleaf
Keeping our eyes on the regal bird
perched in the tree

November 5, 2006 16:09


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Snow Flurries

There were snow flurries in the air today
early for my liking, snow flurries coming
in small singular spirals, falling through the air
spun by their shapes, the tug of the wind
sitting in the office, watching them tumble
by my window, pause in the conversation with client
marvel for a moment at the ballet before me
forward scouts for their brethren to follow
later in the season when fall yields to winter
soon enough they will come, in legions

November 4, 2006 19:22

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 19,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Harsh Mirror

For those who grab the spotlight
sit in righteous judgment
Casting the first stone
against their fellow.

A harsh mirror, from the
carnie, the fun house
Distorts their features
a parody of themselves
when their own sin is
exposed, shone across the
dial, the web, the real-time news cycle

How far the mighty climb
in the Temple
How far they fall
When the shards of their glass house
crumbles under the weight
of their hubris

November 3, 2006 21:50

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 30,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Drive to Court

Three together, down the road
a sprint to a court date,
saving at the end, of the journey
second-hand smoke, nervous puffs
of the cigarettes of the driver
her passenger;
Stranger riding along,
in the back seat,
Hoping to be a white knight,
champion of a silent partner
of this ragtag band
Pursuing a singular purpose
To keep them safe, return them
to their family, with judicial seal
imprimatur of legitimacy
Denied elsewhere, by those
who think they know better

November 3, 2006 21:45


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Justice Amidst the Process

Hearing her words, her voice
anguished, tired, spent,
seeking justice, from her view
unification with her babies,
her grandchildren, caught up
in the System, pulled from home
and family, in care, in the
throes, the process, of the law
Trying, desperately, to temper
her frustration within the bubble
the reality she faces, to assuage the fears
curry favor, cooperate fully
because she must

November 3, 2006 21:42


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 20,790+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Discovery

How aptly named,
is discovery, the information
the case of the Division
Page after page, a catalog
of surprises, discoveries indeed

The proofs, evidence, claims
of the prosecution

Pour over it, all of it
for a hidden gem,
inconsistency, weak links
in the chain, the steps
the path to guilt

November 3, 2006 21:33
On receiving a 250 page packet
of Discovery


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Wailing Choir

Three young siren’s
all peeling in pain,
of their own making
set off by a punishment
an accounting for misbehavior
a price to pay for their testing
rebellion against authority
seeing how far they can push.
And going beyond that point,
feeling the sting of consequence,
the judgment, the perk cancelled
Three members of the wailing choir
off key and inconsolable
because the movie tonight
will be
without popcorn

November 3, 2006 21:03, edited 11/4/06 7:39

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 28,680+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live. 

A Skim of Ice

The red, red maple leaves
festooned with pearls of ice
tiny droplets frozen on the fallen
the dying red leaves, this morning
drink in the image, standing on the porch
before the formal start of our day,
early morning before the children awake
hear the crunch of the frost being scraped
for the first time of the season
out on the road before our house
some other early riser, heading out
out into the cold November ‘morn
See our breath, watch the
puddle in the birdbath,
a skim of ice now,
before the sun finds our yard
and the day warms seasonally

November 3, 2006 20:58


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Singing in My Mind

Up there, on stage,
strumming, fingering
the frets, the neck,
the metal strings of
an old friend, his guitar,
along with his partner
the one on vocals;
not sharing,
the lyrics, the story,
the tune himself,
No, not out loud,
He only sang along
in his mind

November 3, 2006 20:42


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Metal Doors

A singular sound,
a permanency, masculine certainty,
sudden heavy, final, unrelenting
the sound of authority, no free will
no choices any longer
submitting utterly to other wills
regimented steps, directed steps
in halting passage from point to point
Punctuated by the sound of
heavy metal doors
barring your path
sealed behind you, before you

November 3, 2006 20:50
The experience of walking inside the Hillsborough County
House of Corrections (Valley Street Jail)

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 22,070+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Chicken Soup

Is it the soup, or its making
that soothes, bleeds stress,
changes the mind, cutting through
the cares of the day,
warming the body, the soul

Cutting the meat from the steaming,
saturated carcass, boiled down
after our dinner
Add potatoes, the onion,
carrots, spice, simmer, garlic
salt to taste, breath in the
steam, the broth, linger
over the first bowl, the second too
Save for another day, another chance
to savor the loving remedy

November 3, 2006 20:39


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 18,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Stealth Roadie

Where did he go, when did
he spring into action
set up the room, survey the scene
the need for more chairs,
additional food, light,
more dark hot coffee

Turning around, the need met
the scene set, all in place
by his silent work

November 3, 2006 20:35


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 19,770+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Taste the Smell

Coming down the stairs
from the office to the
living room, dining room, kitchen
descending into the cloud, the
glorious smell, mouth-watering
the smell of the cheeseburgers,
our lunch, freshly grilled
the apartment saturated,
pervaded, infused
by the wondrous aroma,
the taste of the meat
still in anticipation

November 3, 2006 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 18,870+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Waiting for the Wind

a cluster of open milkweed pods
brown flat seeds, a ball of cotton candy silk
waiting for the wind, to catch the currents
to fly like gossamer sails across the blue fall sky
twirl and arc heavenward in the blustery gusts
pulses of air of the autumn breezes, with hints
of smoke, smell of apples,
of wet leaves, before their decay
pregnant pods, waiting to burst
scatter their harvest, their children
to the wiles of the wind

November 2, 2006 22:10


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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Our Story

I told our story again, yesterday
driving down the highway, with strangers
sharing our story, of love, of courtship
of finding belonging, hope, faith
coincidences, sharing moments of fun, of joy
of spontaneity, and serious reflection
of a two-month turn of our lives, from separate
to joined as man and wife, as husband and father
lover and friend to you my princess
laughing, loving, from October to December
two years ago this fall

November 2, 2006 22:05


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 20,790+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Waiting for the Wind

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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Following Her

She was attached, joined with her
Ready to follow where she lead
Prepared to leave all she knew, all
Who knew her, where she was from
To be by her side, to share the journey
The road that lead ahead, ready for
Anything, with her, following her home

November 2, 2006 18:26
Ruth 1:1-18


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 19,800+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

I was a Hobo

Newpaper smeared on my face
over and over, to get the right
five o’clock shadow
a ripped gray sweatshirt
hair up and sprayed, for just
the right wrong look
torn jeans, a bandana
my costume, or the general idea
for many a year, a hobo
prowling the neighborhood,
on All Hollow’s Eve

October 31, 2006 22:25

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 33,160+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

They Couldn’t Wait

Eager arms pulling mine,
transferring the bag with the loot
from one hand to another
depending on which side of her
little ballerina I was on
Urging my steps along the side
the edge of the road,
pulling me to the next house
the next bowl of goodies,
the next special moment
on her quest for candy
the annual pilgrimage
from home to home
for chocolate, for sugar
the excess of it
the wonderful excess
of it all


October 31, 2006 22:20


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Remorseful Stowaway

Hanging on for dear life,
even at thirty, she must have
regretted her choice to perch on the edge
of the window, of the van
the spider on the outside of the window
as we went down the road,
proud of itself as we stopped at the
red light on Canal, not so happy
on the highway, a remorseful stowaway
lost in turbulent flow

October 31, 2006 22:16


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

She was a #Bride #poem #Halloween #Princess #Ballerina

A tiny bride, with a veil
that was her mother’s
when we wed
White dress, white tights,
black school shoes,
her bouquet left in the car
her mind on the treats
this Halloween Night
Her first time walking to
darkened houses, bright lit ghouls
ghosts, jack-o-lanterns
Trick or Treat! she cried
and got treats each time
Her bag grew heavy,
heavier than her sisters’
the princess and ballerina.
Walking carefully on sidewalks,
front steps, push the bell,
wait patiently for the answer
of the denizens inside
say her thank you’s
move on down the street
to the next adventure
on the night of treats
 
-------------------
Edited February 23, 2024
She was a Bride – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/she-was-bride-v2.html
October 31, 2006 21:59
She was a Bride
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/10/she-was-bride.html
 
This poems was used by:
Gyldendal’s e-learning platform “Engelsk.gyldendal.dk”
 
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, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. 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.
 
 
poetry, Ruth, mother, October, poem, white, Manchester, New Hampshire, Poetry Where You Live, Family, Halloween, God, sister, Bride, veil, Princess, Ballerina,
 
#poetry #Ruth #mother #October #poem #white #Manchester #NewHampshire #PoetryWhereYouLive #Family #Halloween #God #sister #Bride #veil #Princess #Ballerina

Walking to the Courthouse

Walking to the courthouse
to make copies for a pending case
no urgent brisk walk for arguments,
for the challenge of court, a purposeful
but easier walk, to the Clerk’s Office
to check the file, review and prepare
for another day, a few weeks from now
Time to notice the little things along
my path, the signs of fall, of leaves,
feathers, milkweed pods, seeds
and the crunch of the litter of the season
on the sidewalk, the edge of the yards
little bits of the debris, the clutter
of urban life, the little dramas in the
the back alleys, the side lawns
the broken stairs, the angels and gnomes
in the yards, a Curious George
in the dirt, face down, where it was
forgotten, little stories, fragments of lives
all along my route, walking the dozen blocks
to court from the office, on a fall morning

October 31, 2006 21:52


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Hum of the Fan

All is quiet in the house,
girls asleep, slowing down
the only sound my fingers clicking these words
the purr of the computer fan, the flashing
red computer light, green power on
a desk lamp sends a cone of light over my typing
a cocoon really of a glow, keeping me up
the electricity hums in the machine
I hear myself breathing, thinking of the next
clatter of the keyboard, the digits of my hands
move in unison toward the touch typing of the letters
the motion of the writer, crafting language from the
clicking of the keys, the whir of the fan,
the ache in my elbow as I lean away from the screen
the static electricity of the cathode ray, the warmth
of the incandescent bulb, the arc of its lighting
pressing onward in the words the thoughts later at night
in the quiet in the office after the girls are asleep
before I join them in slumber
after the typing is done and the period added
at the end of the page. ç

October 30, 2006 22:50


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 18,960+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Colors of My Walks to School(s) - October 2006

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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A February Sky

Walking to the playground, yesterday afternoon
after the change of the time on the clocks, fall back
into winter, the darkness falling around me, around them
laughing, running in the stiff wind. Laughing because they
they were in winter coats and I was in a suit
the sky a harbinger of February this October dusk
grays and pale pinks in the heavens, my breath visible
in spite of the wind, wicking the warm from me
a February sky in October, winter fast upon us
holding the earth after the falling leaves,
the torrential rain of Saturday

October 30, 2006 18:57


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Blood on the Lintels

Blood shed in fulfillment,
willingly spilled for us
spread blood of the lamb
Blood on the lintels, the threshold,
the door frame, the
entrance, the portal
around the chambers
of our hearts
protecting us
from the sins
of the world
That evil would pass us by
that your spirit within us
may defeat the kernel of sin
that shares that inner space,
that grows with the wheat
within us too,
from before our birth
It is the blood of the lamb
alone
that saves us

October 29, 2006 21:03
Exodus 12:7 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10 You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Psalm 51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

This Soul Cried Out

As He is so want to do,
the lectionary was blended
sharing a deeper message,
in the mixing of the words
the healing of spirits,
a moment of epiphany
known to very few,
needing to be proclaimed, shared
that He spoke through the words on my page
the words of Psalms, placed by her small hands, shared
in the hands of the beggar
the blind Bartimaeus, the messenger
of more wisdom
this morning.

At the end of a lesson, a children’s sermon
the meaning of the psalmist’s pen,
merged with images,
handed out to eager hands, then left
placed in the basket, the cup of the beggar
“This Soul Cried Out”, the words of that one verse
how right, how appropriate, how subtle
that this should be the page, out of the seventeen screens
the page that should land, purposely, in his lap
this morning, before the telling of his story
in the adult sermon
his healing, by his faith, the response from
the Word Made Flesh,
He cried out to the Son of David
And was healed

Just as the psalmist knew
So long ago.
I sought, He answered

October 29, 2006 15:03
Psalm 34:1-8 and Mark 10:46-52

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.

Mark 10:46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

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 30,100+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Share the Wealth

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 18,960+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Explaining Job

We gathered, in a circle in the Parlor of the church
gathering to study your word, the message
in the lectionary, the lectionaries of the three passages
the three segments of the story of Job, a righteous man
tested, revealed by God, in the testing
We read the words of your Word, feeling the power
the meaning in the framing of the question, the pithy retorts,
rebukes from God by his arrogance, presumption of parity
the weight of his argument, like soap bubbles or gossamer
burst by the breath of God
Finding parallels in acts of violence, acts of hatred
in our own world, far too close to home
where we no longer feel truly safe, exposed pain
stripping bare the facade, the charade of safety
Setting our feet on thatched grass, riding over quicksand
hoping our weight doesn’t sink us in the mud
knowing only that we don’t understand
can’t grasp the meaning of the moment;
hoping it will be clear in time

October 22, 2006 15:02
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Job 38:1-7 (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Be Like Children

Children were not privileged,
they were the last, the bottom rung
on the ladder of life in His day
the last to receive, the first to go without
but they are the models, the characteristics
the means to saving grace He was to bring
faithful servants, slaves to all, humble
loving stewards of the promise
innocent of hubris, of claims to privilege
to a place at the table, a reserved seat
Be as children, as these, to inherit
open, trusting, healed by faith,
by believing without seeing
by believing, accepting the gifts
as children do

October 22, 2006 14:51
Mark 10:35-45, and the earlier passages of this chapter,
such as Mark 10:14-15


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 19,010+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

You Don’t Understand

Lips crimson with the blood of sacrifice -
No they don’t understand
the legacy they are asking to carry
the call they claim to heed
Drinking from the cup of fulfillment
or dreadful of awesome obligation
the cup he chooses to raise to his lips
drinking of the blood of pardon
his own blood spilled, theirs too
if they take on the mantle, the onus
the yoke of service
becoming slaves to all, whipped
by the lash, crowned like him
in thorns, in mocking jeers
to be a servant to all,
martyrs to their faith

October 22, 2006 14:35
Mark 10:35-45



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Do More Than Dream

We dream of a world without pain
without poverty, without hunger
we dream of a place for us
in your kingdom
what are we doing now
to put our faith in motion
in action now in this world
to better the lives, the days
of our brother, our sister,
their children,
our world.
We must fulfill the call
He made when they asked
asked for a place in the hereafter
when the work is here

October 22, 2006 14:24
Mark 10:35-45



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Arguing with God

Wrestling with God,
no that didn’t get Jacob too far
just a pain in the hip
he carried the rest of his days
Same too of a righteous Job
railing at the Almighty over his testing
missing the point, the distance
between he and Thee
Wanting to make his case
as a peer arguing in the gate,
opposing counsel making oral arguments
before the Supreme Court;
but he forgot his place, his petitions
made to the one Judge and jury
the Creator of all.
How weak he was,
he was made to perceive
to understand only
what he could not fathom,
to reach wisdom
in knowing that he could not know
could not speak as equal
to his maker, to God

October 22, 2006 14:20
Job 1-42



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Like Job

Like Job, a righteous man
we struggle to comprehend, to understand
innocent suffering in this world
and closer to home
to process the meaning, the purpose
of unspeakable evil, around us
How a God of mercy, of infinite grace
could let such suffering exist,
live side by side
beauty and compassion,
caring and hate,
war and disease
miracle cures and hopelessness
and despair
A world of shocking paradoxes
of breathtaking joy, heart wrenching loss
unexplainable conditions
Struggling on, Having to trust in His providence,
His purposes, His justice, His timing
when we can not comprehend

October 22, 2006 14:13



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Suffering of a Righteous Man

May it take no more suffering of a righteous man
for us to see the error of the ways, the loss in
the coarseness of our land, the silver lining
may it shine, for all to see, heed its call
to reconcile to each other, seal the breach
the loss we all share, the responsibility too
to make the bonds anew in troubled times
reclaim that which was lost before he fell
the latest metaphor, the latest martyr
to a failed collective age
all about me no more for we cannot
will not understand the taking the pain
of innocent blood, holy blood shed
so that we might see, change our ways
act now act differently to one another
to each other, as the son gave his life
for our sins, may we acknowledge
the sacrifice just paid for what it is
a chance to change course
heal this city, reclaim it for our own
neighbor by neighborhood

October 22, 2006 14:04



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

He Giveth and Taketh Away

The breath of life
is the breath He sends
infuses dust, flesh
of all, and He alone
takes that breath
from dust to dust
framed by the
Creator’s, animator’s breath
giving and taking
the spark of life

October 21, 2006 22:12
Psalm 104:29b-30a
“when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;”



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Ransom

Like kidnap victims
we are stolen from our Father
but not by some unknown criminal,
no we are taken from Him
by our own choices,
our own doing,
our own sin
We are hidden from His face,
from His presence
A ransom must be paid,
an awesome ransom
one we could never pay,
not in a hundred lifetimes
A ransom that could not be forgiven, excused
God used His own self, His son
another face of the Father
to pay our ransom
so we could be returned
to our Father

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

edited January 20, 2016

A Ransom – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-ransom-v2.html

October 21, 2006 21:00

A Ransom

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/ransom.html

Mark 10:43b-45

“whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

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, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,740+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Hundreds of Stories

In each of the people
in the crowd,
along the procession’s route,
a different story, a story
of where they are from
why they were drawn to this place
why they stood where they did
who they were with,
the clothes they wore
the way they stood,
their posture, demeanor
what they did, as he passed,
saw the reminders, the markers
of a life no longer here
how they stood
in the wind, in the cold
stoic or sad
impassive or in tears
together in the crowd
but some, at least,
apart

October 21, 2006 19:17



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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Neighbors to Hell

They were clustered together
standing apart
the ones who were there
on the scene not by choice
the ones who lived there
neighbors to hell,
to that unspeakable evil
that flash of rage
that fateful shot
talking about the loss
they feel as neighbors
trapped in place
living with the fresh memory
of what happened
what was lost for them
when he was lost

October 21, 2006 16:57


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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

My Brother

He was there too,
marching by,
just ten feet from my spot
beyond arm’s reach
solemn, marching in his blues
my brother
taking his turn
joined with the ranks
the honor guards, the men
and women in blue
marching honoring him
solidarity in the marching
the brotherhood
the thin blue line

October 21, 2006 16:16
Officer Michael Briggs funeral


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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Fallen

Standing in the cold
with those who knew you more
those I know who wear the badge
who fight the fight you fought
being there for all of us
in the streets, out in the darker places
the trying places in our land
our city, our neighborhoods

Knowing where you fell, how close to home
how near we all are to chaos
how separate we let ourselves be
when we are still so connected

Seeing you, your flag
the fallen one
echoes of your life

Watching your comrades, your brethren
the thin blue line, stretching down the street
past the station in front of me,
row on row of men and women
on and on they came
to pay respect, tribute, honor

Those who risk all for us
each day, each shift,
each step on the beat,
into the breach
dark places where
we would
not go

October 21, 2006 16:11
Officer Michael Briggs funeral

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 30,430+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Red Maple, White Clouds, Blue Sky

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 19,730+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Final Sunflower of the Year

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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

An Orange Maple

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 18,840+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Fall Puddles

Crisp hard brown sturdy oak leaves
glistened in the small crisp pools
after this morning’s rain, late fall puddles
harvest pools of water with rounded edges
not like summer puddles, diffused edges
bleeding into the hot pavement
these were hard edged pools, held by
the will of the water molecules,
cells of living water, sparkling in the
warm refracted, reflected low light
of fall, white light, framing steel grey clouds
shafts of light filtering through the falling canopy
lighting the browns, yellows, reds of the season
before their dance to the earth


October 18, 2006 21:51
of the puddles at 4:15 this afternoon


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 19,000+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Raw Air

Cold, raw air
Wet thick air
enveloped me on the walk to school
wrapped its arms around me
chilled me to the quick
huddled under the raincoat
hurrying homeward
glad for the lights and the crossing guard
quickening my pace
to the warmth inside

October 18, 2006 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. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,000+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

300 Million Americans as of today, and counting

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

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 19,000+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Christ Candle

In that holy place, on that Oh Holy Night
we rose as a family, to the chancel rail
into the chancel, to the Advent wreath
reading the words from the lectern,
lighting the wicks, the candles of faith,
of hope, of love
one by one, sharing that wonderful moment
not as individuals, but as a part of this family of faith
pausing before lighting the Christ Candle
His candle, marking His birth, when God became Man
breathed his first breath, let out his first cry,
so long ago in the stable bed, a little babe in the manger
walking a bit taller on the steps back to our pew,
hands held tight, eyes heavy with tears of joy

October 16, 2006 23:15
Christmas Eve 2004

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 21,190+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Christmas Pageants

Small voices, raised to the rafters
singing their hearts out in the familiar story
the tale of the babe and his parents
sharing his birth with donkeys and lamb,
with shepherds and wise men from the east
marveling at the wonder of his birth
in that humble place so long ago
hearing the words of the story again
richer perhaps in the telling with little voices
echoing throughout the sanctuary
a bit noisier perhaps; but a wonderful
place to be

October 16, 2006 23:06


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 19,780+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Washing His Blood

In the little room, off the sanctuary,
the space where worship supplies
were kept, a stack of white linen
tablecloths, communion cloths
that once covered His table,
held his holy meal, the body, the blood
stained by the spilt wine, the dark
stain of his blood, washing his blood
pressing the white fabric, folding, putting
it away, in its place once more
washing His blood from the white cloth
but not from our hearts

October 16, 2006 21:58

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 31,480+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Flowers Ablaze

Down the sidewalk
on the way to pick up
the littlest after school
three in the afternoon
in early October
low light comes between
the tenements, pushing
through the late sunflowers
beams and shafts of brilliant yellow
warm light floods the senses
overwhelms ability to see it all; but
captured in the picture
for us all to see once more




 October 15, 2006 15:56 (picture October 8, 2006)

October 15, 2006 15:56

Flowers Ablaze

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/10/flowers-ablaze.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 46,940 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

creator, dew, Faith, faith poetry, Family, flowers, God, hope, light, Nature, New Hampshire, October, Photos, schools, senses, way, yellow, poem, poetry, Shanequa,

#creator #dew #Faith #faithpoetry #Family #flowers #God #hope #light #Nature #NEUMC #NewHampshire #October #Photos #schools #senses #way #yellow #sunflowers #school #poetry #poem #Shanequa