Thursday, September 30, 2010

Psalm 27

One thing I have asked from the Lord

that I shall seek

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life


My best friends dad would answer the door

slam it in my face and yell

“Garrett, your idiot friend is here”

then welcome me in his home


we’d play Doom in the basement

and his dad would come down

every half hour to tell us to be quiet


in the morning we’d have frosted flakes

by noon we’d be eating hot pockets

and playing video games

until his dad came down

to tell me to go home


For in the day of trouble

He will conceal me

in his tabernacle


When that day comes

no one will tell me to be quiet

the Hot Pocket’s won’t burn my mouth

and no one will ever tell me

to go home.

2 Corinthians 13:14

Reflections on.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,


on Robson street

she sits next to a streetlight

with bare feet

on a newspaper

rattling a Tim Horton’s cup


when I walk by

I stare down at the sidewalk

and speed up


the love of God the father,


when I first heard

Reverend Falwell

linked 9/11

to homosexuality

I think my exact words were

“that dude needs

to get punched”


and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit


the awkward man

smells like curry and body odor

stationed himself

next to the coffee

after the morning service


last week he explained to me

how the communists infiltrated

the Democratic Party in 1968

and how the Apostle John

foretold this very thing in Revelation 12


I was nodding off during the sermon

and I know my church values

strong, delicious, freshly ground coffee

but I skip my cup this morning

leave quickly, skillfully

avoiding eye contact with

the awkward man


be with you all.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe

The barista
was cute
I was
not surprised.

“You read that poem
with the Silmarilion reference,
that’s like my favorite book.”

My heart dropped
somewhere around my ankles
but she didn’t notice
so it wasn’t awkward.

When she handed me my coffee
I noticed one ring on her left hand.

I wish she had kept it secret.