The day Death was served its just desserts

In the shadows of the darkness
on the day the headlines lied,
dawning light revealed a mystery.
Death at last had been defied.

Rumors flew. “His body’s missing!”
“It is nowhere to be found!”
“Could it be the place they laid Him
has become most holy ground?”

Absolutely! Without question!
Joseph’s Garden was much more
than a yard of bones and ashes.
Here was Heaven’s open door.

What had sealed his death on Friday
(that gigantic rolling stone)
had been moved permitting entrance
to the cave His corpse had known.

Strips that wrapped His stone-cold body
like a mummy still were there.
But this body bag of linen
boasted nothing but thin air.

Death’s comeuppance some have called it.
Satan’s curse that had been cast
was reversed that Sunday morning.
Life springs forth! The winter’s past.

“Christ is risen!” tulips trumpet.
Lilies echo their refrain.
Crocuses soon join the chorus
and the daffodils the same.

Spring is Nature’s sure reminder
of life’s power over death.
In the ancient Easter story,
lifeless lungs receive fresh breath.

Wind of God, sweet breath of Heaven,
as with Jesus, once again.
Breathe on us, most Holy Spirit,
winded women, winded men.

May this Day of Resurrection
animate our souls anew.
Through the hymns and words of Scripture
calibrate us, Lord, to You.

Lessons for air-traffic controllers (and others); Why Birthdays are a Gift

Flying Solo is for the Birds
Lessons for air-traffic controllers (and others)

Air-traffic controllers
(who can’t stay awake)
sleep in ivory towers
feeding nightmares raw steak.

Those take-offs and landings
in time take their toll
on sleep-deprived sentries
who lose all control

of eyelids (quite heavy)
that long to stay closed
and threaten a future
of jobs they once chose.

These guys need a partner
to help them keep watch
so when they are weary
and tempted botch

their crucial assignments
of shepherding jets,
they’ll do what is needed
and have no regrets.

But then…

We all need companions.
God said so. It’s true!
We fail going solo
whatever we do!

Why Birthdays are a Gift
A poet reflects on the 59th anniversary of his birth

Birthdays are a chance to pause
and count our blessings (and our flaws).
To thank the Lord He gave us life
and loves us as we are.

The day we contemplate our birth
and tabulate our inner worth,
we eat a piece of birthday cake
(and also humble pie).

We know we don’t deserve God’s grace
for things we’d just as soon erase
that punctuate the years we’ve lived
preoccupied with self.

But in that candled cake we find
a sweet reminder that love’s blind.
Those gifts from friends and family
convey the way God feels.

One day a year we find the means
to reaffirm those life-long dreams
He planted in our pre-born hearts
before we took a breath.

Ah, yes. Our birthday is a milestone
to mark the ways in which we’ve grown
by making peace with what is past
and thanking God for grace.

Mother Earth is far from healthy

Our mom is really struggling.
First one thing, then the next.
It seems she’s been to hell and back.
Her health, once good, is vexed.

Her body’s bruised and bleeding.
She suffers from the shakes.
There’s war in Northern Africa
and in Japan there’re quakes.

Her radiation treatments
have left her scared and weak.
Each day her faith is tested
by reports of one more leak.

She nearly drowned “down under”
from flooding east of Perth.
Are you concerned, like I am,
for our dear Mother Earth?

The old girl’s got a fever.
She battles climate change.
While global warming seems the cause,
some critics think that strange.

Let’s pray that she recovers.
We can’t replace our mom.
There’s only one and she is it.
We’re doomed when she is gone.

A holiday for wise guys; Fiber with a Flair

April Fool’s Day
A holiday for wise guys

It’s a day for pranks and playing jokes
on friends and unsuspecting folks.
A day for telling fibs for fun
without cracking a smile.

A day when fools are recognized
for swallowing outlandish lies.
When we can laugh at their expense
then call them all good sports.

So, don’t neglect this April Fool’s.
This unmarked holiday is cool.
Just “seize the day” and storm your brain
and “punk” someone you love.

Fiber with a Flair
A popcorn lover’s tribute to his favorite nightly snack

Popcorn is my favorite snack.
It’s fiber with a flair.
The calories are next to none.
It’s just like eating air.

From way back when I was a boy
(you’ll probably think it odd),
I thought of popcorn manna-like.
A daily gift from God.

That Jiffy Pop was quite the rage
until I finally learned
that lest you shake that tin pan fast,
the corn is bound to burn.

The hot-air kind was healthier.
That’s how it was made known.
But it was dry as cardboard puffs…
like chewing Styrofoam.

I make it the old-fashioned way.
A kettle on the stove.
Then pour the oil, add the corn
and wait till it explodes.

But yellow kernels aren’t my thing.
I only like the white.
A little butter and some salt.
Let’s pop some up tonight.

What the new TV show should remind us of

A new show’s on each Sunday night.
It’s heart-warming TV.
They call it Secret Millionaire.
Yes, it’s reality.

A wealthy person hits the streets
without designer clothes
to mingle with those far-less-off
and understand their woes.

And in the end the one who’s rich
shows love and writes a check.
The plot reminds me of a man
whose gift we can’t forget.

His net worth was mind-boggling.
A millionaire and more.
But Jesus laid it all aside
to serve the working poor.

Without the trappings of His wealth,
He tasted of their plight
while trudging through their broken dreams
that marked their sleepless nights.

Much like the Undercover Boss
in camouflaged disguise,
He hung out with those needing help
responsive to their sighs.

Then Jesus emptied Heaven’s bank
and paid off sin’s cruel debt.
This Secret Millionaire still lives.
I wonder. Have you met?