From Him

 

Not many wise

have lived on ninety dollars per month

and saved what they gleaned each day 

just so they could tithe ten percent out of love

Not many mighty 

have lived in remote locations with no fuel

and saved what they gleaned each day

just to get another junk car to pray in

Not many noble

have lived, inscribing their story into stony hearts 

saving what they could glean each day

just to be known and loved for their fellowship in Christ

But God chose you

to become Wisdom to us from Him

—justice, holiness, and redemption—

to bring to nothing the things that are

Pistis

When in doubt 

Trust the experts

The experts are there 

To help you

Establish trust 

Sort through the complexities 

Of these situations 

Professionals and experts 

Exist because the majority 

Of the world

Are not experts 

The system is designed

To help everyone 

Remain informed 

It was built 

For the uninformed 

To become experts 

For the naïve

To be informed properly

We need to trust the experts 

We need to follow the facts and the science 

Wherever they lead us 

Only they know 

How to get us back

To where we need to be

Glorious OCD

 

knowing God is knowing

eternal life and knowing

eternal life is knowing you

the real you

the you without OCD

or perhaps glorious

OCD glorified

with the perfect

eternal crutch

that makes you you

to all who knew

that knowing you is knowing God

Sincerely

Dear Katie,

I’m listening now

Twenty two years of vibrations 

And six hundred thirty six miles of string unwound

Now your tin can is touching my ear

I hear that you don’t trust God to change you

You’re not alone

Life feels lonely and powerless

When everything hangs on obsessions of ideas

I heard what you said about fear and depression

But phobias are products of actual organic illness 

You also were not the only person depressed in that household

Everyone was depressed along with you

I heard what you said about needing change and happiness

You’re much stronger than you think

Not many are resilient enough 

To carry such burdens as yours for forty years

I heard that you had a tumor

It’s shocking to learn about that now

Having never heard about it before

Is anyone surprised that David cared less?

I heard your foot was in bad shape

Another summer of fun ruined because of it

Even though you’d like to blame others

The kids were not safe or happy around you, so get over it

I heard that you’re moving to Cedarburg

That sounds like a lot of work to prepare for

Packing last minute sounds emotionally draining

Are you sure you’ll be pleased with any house they can afford?

I heard you really want to choose the house or see it ahead of time

But what if no one can read your mind or satisfy your expectations?

What if everyone is exhausted by your manic depression?

Wouldn’t that be painfully ironic, if true?

I heard you wanted to go home to your mom

That’s another seriously depressing thought

Things were clearly so bad that you just couldn’t stop entertaining

More depressing, imaginary desires

Then there was Jonathan

Did you know he was a drug addict then?

Did you care that he needed help?

Just imagine how worthwhile a drug addict teenager must have felt, too

I heard you mention twice your need to be “productive”

You need something to replace what you dwell upon obsessively

You know, things you can’t change

So you can blame God for not changing you

I heard you mention burnout

You sound exhausted and hopeless

Consider how everyone else feels too

Especially those you blame and whine around incessantly

I heard you want to live, work, and be happy?

Well then, what are you waiting for?

But don’t forget the list you left behind

With dozens of reasons for why you can’t work or be happy

I heard that no one knows the truth about your health or desires

And no one talks to you, and you’re not allowed to talk to them

That’s another depressing thought I can forgive now

Brought about because of your extreme mental illness

I heard that you’re scared, and concerned about anger

You want help but you’re not allowed to ask for it

And you’re “probably” not supposed to accept it

I call bullshit

I heard that you felt hopeless and did’t have help

You had no recourse, and couldn’t talk to anyone

But I know you gossiped to everyone all the fucking time

I call bullshit again

I hear that you wish you could start life over differently

If you could you would surely choose another destiny

Surely, Satan is to blame, or David, or God

They all work overtime, so they all qualify

I’ve really been trying to listen to your prayer

And what I have gleaned is this

The Lord did come to your heart and redeem and restore

Now it’s your turn to pray for whomever

Sincerely,

Whomever

To be Katie Lee

 

What was it like

to be so afraid of death

that every box needed a bag

within a bag

within a bag

bundled together within more bags

What was it like 

to be so afraid of death

that you gave

every last penny

for that burgundy town and country

just to have a home

What was it like

to be so afraid of death

that you just couldn’t live without

bibles and sabbaths

lysol wipes and vivas

diapers and sandwich bags

And what advice would you give your Son

now that your sight

is restored

and your mansion

secured

and you no longer fear death?

Happy Birthday

one year ago

you looked at me

through your plastic window

outside the post office

on MLK

you smiled at me

a little awkwardly

from his right hand

I wept with joy

and wept and wept

far beyond the parking limit

because it was really you

visiting me

after so many years

of not knowing when

or how I'd see you again

so I carried you home

and I still do

everywhere I go

forty days and nights

you worked with me

sat with me

wept with me

prayed with me

interceded for me

you beheld me

and held me

when you reached God

our shared hope

one year ago

The only way

 

I'm not really into conspiracy theories, but...

I think it's pretty obvious that Trump is desperate

He wants people dead

He wants to build his own little empire 

and radically change our democracy

He doesn't care about helping us get out of this pandemic

It's like he wants us all to remain trapped and sick, with no return to normal again

If he wanted us out, he'd mandate masks to be worn everywhere at all times

That's the only way to get everything back to normal

Unless there's a vaccine

which won't happen any time soon 

because Trump doesn't seem to want one

Instead, he wants that hydrochlorine something-or-other bullshit

which has been proven to cause heart problems

And now that Putin authorized a vaccine for his people before everyone else

skipping the most essential safety trials

regardless of how sick his vaccine makes people

regardless of how many people are poisoned from his deadly vaccine

in order to radically turn their economy around and back to normal

regardless of how many lives are ultimately lost

you can bet that Russia will use that as a bargaining chip

to keep Trump in office

The last four years have proven at least that much

There is some serious fucked-up conspiracy shit in the Trump administration

and people don't seem to care

especially the kids

I don't know about you 

but I care

I also think that the main reason why young people don't care about what's going on around the world

is because they are too easily entertained 

and distracted

They just believe whatever social media tells them 

They don't even watch the news anymore

That's how little they care

20/20 Vision

 

Livestream face panties

Scoff at Governor's orders

Flip your blinker on

Breast cup hangs off ear

But just momentarily

Masticate and slurp

Left turn or right turn

Virtues equal viruses

You are a racist

That's what they said

Pyrexia frequented the most

Throbbing the cranium in half the volume

Nausea and upchuck are common events

They said

Just give them lots of fluids and rest

Don't be surprised by minor myalgia and fatigue

There could possibly be some irritability, too

If things don't look better after two days

We'll get some antibiotics

They said

What about her convulsion after a couple days?

They said

Yes, that's definitely something we are concerned about

It's likely unrelated to the well visit

Most events of that nature are coincidences

Where there is some minor correlation

It's often related to some kind of unknown susceptibility 

They said

He froze up like an ice cube

And blacked out like an adult punched her

And all the experts rationalized away their cares

Eisodus

Some remember the world before you entered it
The people grazed on garbage, chewing the cud of mortality
and laughed
and laughed

They paid to fill their lungs with convenient juices
and relaxed
and relaxed

Guzzling intoxicating grains of oreos
and other natural flavors
and other natural flavors

They jammed their hearts with a sea of gods
and graven images
and graven images

The world neglected its gardens after your invitation
The nations united, pumping salvation into rivers of blood
and the people regressed
and regressed and regressed

Birth of a nation

I want my children to love you
I don't even know what that's supposed to look like anymore
Perhaps you don't even know either

I stare at that black frame with three smiling faces snuggled closely
I stare and see genuine joy
Free joy

I stare and I cry and I wonder
Is this how you feel, too?
Do you wait and wonder if your kids will grow up to love you too?

Do you glance at the pages of Scripture and notice their portrayal of you?
Is that really you?
Was that ever really you?

Those who have seen you have seen the father
But is the inverse also true?
I rely heavily upon my bride for such hope and training in love

To see the father
To be the father
We never saw before

Do you rely upon your wife too?

The quelle of all problems

we will not rehearse the case
for that hypothesis over there
nor offer arguments against
this one over here

definitive arguments
for any hypothesis
or against any hypothesis
or their variations

are not possible

at best, we propose scenarios
in which all or most or some
of the data is accounted
most of the time

by what we think of
as the most probable explanations
observe and trust what we say
and our craftsmanship

we sit in the seat you adore

Sitting across from the treasury

Our history is filled with violence

Demolish its icons

Our heritage is loaded with exploitation

Sue their asses off

We cannot undo the wrongs of our past

Demonetize those deviants

We must acknowledge truth to begin to heal

Censor rival narratives

We need to work together to fight fascism and restore justice

Donate today and pledge your last two lepta

ALL ARE WELCOME

They say that he sacrificed himself for everyone.
Others say he sacrificed himself for the many, the elect.
Still, more say he sacrificed himself to make it possible for all.
His enemies cried out, "We have no king but Caesar!"
And they were not saved from the coming wrath.
Not many since then have been allowed to have eyes that see or ears that hear.
That is why they never ask
What if he died only for those who were in the Hades?
And what if Hades was now no more?

That would mean horror and heresy!
Outrage and unyielding angst!
Riots are needed against such blasphemy!
Worst of all, that would mean no one today can be saved.

They say it's gutsy to defy the living God.
He used a church and Bible as a cheap political prop.
He threatened to deploy the military against his citizens.
They accuse his disciples of crying out, "We have no king but Caesar!"
And he tear gasses the peaceful protestors anyway.
Not many since then have been allowed eyes to see or ears to hear.
That is why they never ask
What if he's wrong, but for all the right reasons?
And what if those reasons matter more than your virtue signaling?

That would mean violence and looting!
Stoning and constant carnage!
Riots are needed against such tyranny!
Worst of all, that would mean no one today can be saved.

The Satan

we trusted You
because You trusted in You
the You who is what You is
journalists then sold Your trust in You
universities with research grants sold it too
then doctors everywhere shifted
from whispers to screaming from hilltops
for it to be sold
experts and professionals of all kinds now sell it
like a super shammy at their State fair
and we all bought it
as seen on tv
we donated to Your cause
to receive divine blessing
to wipe out the curse
You offered the new creation we needed
confident
assertive
proven
science
nothing would go wrong
because Your gospel was announced
Your savior was going to tabernacle among us
in our flesh
in our bones
under our skin
on our phones

Infodemic

I remember the day
You responded to the damning evidence
Her story has a lot of holes in it, you said
You've heard both sides, I presume
Your gut tells you someone's lying
Yet less than five minutes passed
And all you offered was an opinion piece
dedicated to the god of Progress,
his mistress, Phobia
and their illegitimate offspring,
Science, Data, and Studies
Surely there is a conspiracy
I can feel your worried tone
And that conspiracy must include me
It could not possibly be among the Priests of culture
who risk to lose millions and billions
and trillions to deviancy

The Infected

Whether infected

or healthy

neither matters

What matters is that you follow the guidelines

Cough and sneeze

Send those droplets

containing the virus

into the air

The healthy ones breathe in

the infected droplets

or they touch a surface

with them on it

No one should assume they’re safe anymore

No one should presume they’re not infected

Symptoms don’t matter

Everyone is guilty until proven innocent

This scary, deadly virus can live 

for hours to days

and possibly weeks

on surfaces, and possibly in the air

Our public health experts have been clear

many times, publicly

about it possibly being too soon to reopen

if the guideline framework they have worked out is not followed

We should not jump over the various checkpoints

and prematurely open up

without having the capability of being able to respond

effectively and efficiently

Our concern should be 

that we will start to see little spikes

that might possibly turn into outbreaks

The consequences could be really serious

We must have an appropriate pace

that is commensurate with the dynamics of the outbreak

When an area pulls back on mitigation

we will see some cases appear

It’s the ability and capability

of responding to those cases

with good identification, isolation, and contact tracing

that will determine whether we can go forward as we try to reopen

It’s not only doing it at the appropriate time

with the appropriate constraints

but having in place the capability of responding

when the inevitable return of infections occur

Researchers still have a lot to learn about this new virus

You’re probably more likely to catch it 

from being around someone who might possibly have it 

than from touching contaminated surfaces

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