The rollercoaster of emotion in West Virginia has left us all sick

They were so sure
in Upshur County,
but the upshot is
they sure were wrong.

The song they sang
when the church bells rang
was prompted by a premature
assumption of a miracle.

From the news the families were given
(that all but one were livin’),
it appeared that once again
God had stared death in the face
and made the Grim Reaper blink.

But the grim reality
told another story.
No glory this time.
Just the gory details
that those who’d clung to hope
and then credited God
with a incomprehensible outcome
had been given the shaft.

Those in the mine
were not fine as first thought.
All but one were dead.

Instead of inexpressible delight
there was unimagined despair.
In a moment of time,
the air went out
of the celebration balloons.

And for the coal miners’
daughters and sons
and wives and sisters
and grandsons and granddaughters
and grandpas and grandmas,
the surreal scenario succeeded in
stealing their joy.

It took their breath away.

And thanks to CNN,
this suffocating sadness
isn’t theirs alone.
It has impacted us all.

We all have
a lump in our throats
the size of a chunk of coal,
not to mention
the hole in our souls
that bleeds for those who died
and grieves for those who grieve.

Remembering the life and legacy of Rosa Parks

She wouldn’t budge when on a bus
a white man said “My seat!”
She bravely sat and stood her ground
like wind-blown Kansas wheat.

It was a bus ride that began
a journey not yet done.
A trip toward equality
where blacks and whites are one.

No, a Rosa by any other name
would not smell as sweet.
Her very name was
the fragrance of freedom
to many a little girl (and boy)
who grew up in the contaminated
soil of the South
with hopes of a better life
and dreams of being as courageous
as Ms. Parks.
No, Rosa was not your garden-variety
kind of woman.
She was a rare specimen.
Though her life was marked by thorns
that stemmed from ugly prejudice,
Rosa bloomed with beauty.
Her solitary act of defiance
became a delightful bouquet of justice.

And as her shriveled lifeless frame
is laid to rest today,
may memories of this faded rose
inspire us I pray.

Katrina’s Dead but Her Damage Lives On

The Big Easy has big problems
and no easy answers.
It’s a devastation
our nation hasn’t experienced
ever before.

Four years ago this week
we tasted of the agony of catastrophe.
But 9/11 was but an appetizer
to a bitter main course that has
left us fed up with grief…
and questions.

No wonder the tears that flow
give rise to the belief
that the contaminated waters
of a broken levy
are far from the only thing that
floods the French Quarter.

O Katrina, how could you?
How could someone
with such a beautiful name
wreak such ugly havoc?

You’re a two-timing heartbreaker
we will never forgive.
We thought your destruction in Florida
was bad enough.
But you had other plans.

With premeditated scorn
you humiliated those in the Gulf
who gratefully thought you’d spared them.

But there was something in your eye
we should have seen as you blew by.
It was a restless calm that seemed
to wink as though in jest.

And now that you are dead and gone,
the homeless, grieving stumble on
to right the wrongs you left them with
from which they’ll never heal.

Why the rescue of the Russian sailors is a recipe for personal growth

Submerged beneath the icy depths
a Russian crew was caught.
Their sub was trapped in fishing nets
both weighted down and taut.

Just like the Kursk, their plight seemed doomed.
Those men had little air.
But this time Russians asked for help
admitting their despair.

And since they did, the crew was saved
as time nearly ran out.
The outcome gave the waiting world
good cause to cheer and shout.

And in this rescue there’s a truth
we’d all do well to see
of what to do when we need help
in some catastrophe.

Our pride might prompt us to pretend
that everything’s okay.
But then the fear we hide inside
won’t ever go away.

But if we own up to our plight
and let our need be known,
we’ll find the joy of being loved
through graces friends have shown.

We’d best resist the tendency
to handle life solo.
When we act like we’re self-contained,
we miss the chance to grow.

Reflections on Iraq’s election and Oscar nominations

Democracy’s First Breath
A Prayer for the Iraqi Elections

Al-Zarqawi mocks
the ballot box
in terror-torn Iraq.
But he can’t see
that liberty
won’t be denied by talk.

The fateful day
is days away…
democracy’s first breath.
As they elect,
O God protect
the innocent from death.

We thought it bad
with hanging chads.
They hang the ones who vote.
Each polling place
is far from safe
as freedom tries to float.

Keep it alive
so it can thrive.
Dear God, please hear this prayer.
Derail the dreams
and evil schemes
of madmen over there. 

The Passion of the Academy
Why Oscar overlooked Jesus

They hung the Savior out to die
without an Oscar nod.
They nominated Hughes and Charles
while overlooking God.

Their passion’s for a man who flew
and one who made kids fly
and friends joyriding tasting wine
while looking for life’s why.

They voted for a boxing champ
and one who sang the blues.
But he who died to save the world
did not make Headline News.

The Gospel According to Mel was tops
when measuring the take.
But ticket sales are not the key
to taking home the cake.

It’s what the voters see as “sweet.”
The ‘cademy’s the boss.
So it’s no shock that they ignored
the man upon the cross.