“I Had a Lover’s Quarrel with the World”

Mr. Frost crafts smooth, flowing iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter, sometimes rhyming but sometimes not. That he makes rhyme work so well demonstrates the excellence of his art; there are only five – arguably six – vowel sounds in English, which rhymed through the pen or keyboard of a learner usually ends in clunkiness or unintended comedy.

Read More

The Plight of Man

Sin is a seductive shadow;
the damning dark that dwells within.
It keenly kills all kinds of man.
All folk are formed in its fury…

Read More

Ave Maria

“Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee”. Thus begins one of the most well-known, and possibly most debated, prayers in the history of the Church.

Read More

A Busy Dachshund Puppy

She bites into cranky old Pepper-Cat’s tail
(Something so twitchy must surely taste good)
And Pepper-Cat spanks her; oh, what a wail!
(Dear pup, there’s a difference between could and should)…

Read More

God’s Swift Love

God’s heart moves at the speed of love.
He is not constrained by the passage of earthly time.
An answer to a plea that may take an eternity to you
is an eternal opening to the gates of grace for him.

Read More

A Witch and Equality

I was thinking about Monty Python and the Holy Grail in all its ridiculous glory when I realized that similar skewed logic is used all the time in the real world, as if it were true logic. The conclusion seems sure before the argument, and as often as not, it is to the detriment of others.

Read More

There’s an Election Going On…

The world will change today – that is a cinch
Newspaper drama by the column inch
The vote count is over; we’ve come to the clinch

Read More

Patterns

A pattern is a deadly thing,
it keeps you thinking you have changed;
Only to circle the mountain again
with a different set of complaints.

Read More

Tolkien: A Review of a Book and a Movie

J.R.R. Tolkien, a Biography by Humphrey Carpenter is a nice little biography for those who love Tolkien and the Inklings. Humphrey Carpenter’s several biographies are always well-researched and, even when alluding to awkward moments in the subjects’ lives, infinitely kind and generous.

Read More

Robin Goodfellow & the Apples of Inspiration

“I want you to steal the Apples of Inspiration.”
Robin nearly choked on his pipe smoke. “Do you realize that that tree only blooms once every seven hundred years? And the gods guard it jealously!”

Read More

Submissions Information Winter 2021: Acts of Charity- Corporal Works of Mercy

The theme for the Winter 2021 issue is Corporal Works of Mercy. These are to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to travelers, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, and to bury the dead. We want to know – what do these ideas mean to you personally? How do you see them in your church, in your life and in the lives of others?

Read More

Autumn 2020: The Church: Ministry & Hierarchy

In these pages you will learn about how what ministry means to different people and how authority works in different denominations. You will find non-fiction, poetry, puzzles, book and media recommendations, and a new look at Frozen II. We can’t wait to hear what you think!

Read More

Books Are Secret Places

Books are secret places where words go to hide
When the world goes wrong, and children are hurt
By grownups who never learned how to read or love
Or even tell funny stories around the campfire…

Read More

The Beanstalk & the Shoes

…the king sent out a proclamation, decreeing that whosoever discovered the secret of the holes in the princesses’ shoes would be rewarded greatly. One day, not long after the king sent out his proclamation, Jack and his mother decided to see if the king could help them with their financial problems by selling him their cow….

Read More

You Shut Up! No, You Shut up! No, You Shut Up First!

Censorship is the control of public speech by a government agency; it has always existed and always will. Even the freest government cannot allow state secrets to be published. Censorship, when kept in its legal place, is good; when it is not kept in its legal place, it is bad.

Read More

Two Political Campaign Signs Set on Fire

Perhaps that’s all the fire they’ve got this year
Obediently yapping into the dark
In camouflage knee-pants and plastic shoes
Both sides agreeing only in their hate…

Read More

Washing Dishes

The biggest pile that e’re was seen
Of pots, pans, dishes, stacked and unclean,
Nigh on three feet of the countertop covering
I must begin soon ‘fore fruit flies start hovering!

Read More

Political Voices

Bitter Old Men Yelping at Each Other:
My country, ‘tis of thee
“Get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap!”
Sweet land of liberty
“What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name!”

Read More

Loaves and Wishes

“Is there a vegan option?”
“Are these fish from renewable stocks?”
“Is this bread gluten free?”
“Is this all you’ve got – bread and fish?”

Read More

Christ in the Eucharist

Once upon a time, a great king wanted to send his son to live among his people to save them from their wretched ways. First, he chose a woman to care for his child, and then he chose a man to take of them both. They were the poorest of the poor, but the purest to be found anywhere.

Read More