'Things happen' timothy r gates, 2/18/2013

Things happen
blame omniscience
blame omnipotence
or,
the drink
the pills
sex, drugs and rock & roll
Things happen
blame mom or dad
blame opportunity or inopportunity
or,
the religions
the politicians
prayers, blessings and pontifications
Things happen
blame satan
blame demons
or,
the bong
the song
myself, yourself and themselves
oh yes,
Shit happens.

'tears of Artists' timothy r gates, 1./17/2013

Once the ills of the world,
blamed on Jews,
"They" fumigated them
with Christians, Jehovah Witnesses
and Homosexuals,
now blamed by
Christians, Muslims and Jews
upon the Gays
or anyone deemed
"the Enemy,"
those "against us"
because "they're not with us,"
those "lacking moral direction."
Let us secure weaponry
for the State
and militias,
sprinkling blessings for victories --
once all convert
there'll be no more
uniqueness,
might is right
will replace humanness.
Ego rises up
having baptized Narcissus,
tears of artists
fill baptisteries,
yet I need not walk their path
if I choose to be free.

'my Grandfather'* timothy r gates, 2/16/2013

I wept when my Grandfather
died,
ninety-one
ready after six months of
dying -
said his good-byes.
turned and whispered,
"Wait a minute, Lord,"
only to tell Grandma.
"See you later."
He fell asleep
for the last night.
I hear his whisper
daily, storytelling,
the gene pool obvious,
his blessed repose
my resurrection.
* I trust my grandfather in his blessed memory as I did when we sat face to face. "Old souls" or "soul friends" - he opened the way for me to know that such beauty in sadness and joy.

'Empathy in two parts'

'Empathy in two parts'

'Empathy' timothy r gates, 1/24/2013

Empathy's gift
not requested
certainly not prayed for,
knowing the feeling
of feeling stripped,
naked before G-d.
Here i found
what was unknown,
forsaken
like Jesus
like Mary
like raped women
like violated children
like saviors.
Didn't pray,
certainly didn't want
preyed upon.
didn't seek this gift.
i get it.


'got to pull the plug' timothy r gates, 1/24/2013

i'm the big brother
got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
died.
watched the pumped oxygen
leave, thirty seconds
then he was near eggshell hued,
my parents bawled
another younger brother
quietly sobs,
his best friend gone.
chanting the Psalter,
giving room for an exit,
barely a tear trickled
down my cheek
(i bawled through laughter
driving home,
never knew this grief's burst,
before).
watched my mother, my father
weep
when their mothers, fathers
died -
i got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
white like new snow,
mother and dad
shaking out tears,
"We should've gone first."
they will die
some will hurt
some will be numb
some will remember, wishing you didn't
one younger brother
has already
walked through the door.

5 Newer pieces, some fun with lines, some.not so fun, though... tim...

'Drones, you're dead!' timothy r gates,. 2/5/2013
Drones, you're Dead!
no congressional or judicial review;
"enhanced interrogations" -
Pres. Bush? Bad?
Pres. Obama? Good?
collateral damage?
who gives a f',
as long as your 'guy' is the boss.
Wonder...
if mommy and daddy,
grandpa or grandma,
were the Pres.,
would they still
drop The Bomb?
Or, if they were divinity,
would they kill
all but "eight souls"
in a flood?
Presidents and gods,
and collectors?
Okay to have WMD,
just in case.
"Executive decision - privilege?"
like divinity's
right to judge.
'Rosa merely sat down' timothy r gates, 2/4/2013
Rosa merely sat down,
frightened the shit out of Washington
they knew
sooner than later
they'd need to share their place,
or at least figure a way
to make it look okay -
a way their religions taught,
but they had re-his-toricized.
No longer sitting quietly
on a Park's bench,
like one who held dear her mystery
but would learn to speak up,
"Behold, my son, listen to him,"
meek but not weak,
she simply needed a
seat.
'Beauty found her way' timothy r gates, 1/27/2013
with my Martin
i've played some tunes,
coffee houses
found in different decades,
singing once new original songs.
with pen and tablet
i've written line after line,
now I do the same
on my computer,
in my heart's eye
the yellow legal pad
still sits before my pen.
with brushes and pigments
i've learned to behold
what's never been absent,
llike the sculptor
brushing away
what's in the way of
a David or Diana.
with each breath
Beauty finds her way
to the mountain
looking over the expanse,
only to smile.
'Empathy in two parts'
'Empathy' timothy r gates, 1/24/2013
Empathy's gift
not requested
certainly not prayed for,
knowing the feeling
of feeling stripped,
naked before G-d.
Here i found
what was unknown,
forsaken
like Jesus
like Mary
like raped women
like violated children
like saviors.
Didn't pray,
certainly didn't want
preyed upon.
didn't seek this gift.
i get it.
'got to pull the plug' timothy r gates, 1/24/2013
i'm the big brother
got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
died.
watched the pumped oxygen
leave, thirty seconds
then he was near eggshell hued,
my parents bawled
another younger brother
quietly sobs,
his best friend gone.
chanting the Psalter,
giving room for an exit,
barely a tear trickled
down my cheek
(i bawled through laughter
driving home,
never knew this grief's burst,
before).
watched my mother, my father
weep
when their mothers, fathers
died -
i got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
white like new snow,
mother and dad
shaking out tears,
"We should've gone first."
they will die
some will hurt
some will be numb
some will remember, wishing you didn't
one younger brother
has already
walked through the door.

"Homilist" timothy r gates, 2/10/2013
The word in stories from ages past,
we sing.
Joining these psalms to our songs
antiphonal melodies,
dance in tones our ancient family
sang, and sing.
Letters from reposed friends,
like the parchments arrived today,
we chant.
The gospel word,.
narratives about
the Word,
we attend.
Then we step into
his space,
the ambo offers us, "be still" -
inside we tremble,
"He increases,
my I am walks into his."
Calmed, we begin to
speak,
praying within,
"Lord, let me be an instrument of
your peace."
Here, an Icon of the Word
attempts to share
what we have intoned
what we have joined in song
what we have chanted in word -
what we now walk through at these doors,
"Today, the kingdom is in us!"
We step away,
a little worn,
with a quiet smile,
grateful having strolled
with him
"in the cool breeze
of the garden,"
where the dew has known
it is always morning.
The Word whispers,
"good enough,
move into our next offering,"
like Solomon's beloved,
well spent
yet freely standing.

"Salvation can be bought" timothy r gates, 2/5/2013

Salvation can be bought
old 5 & dime didn't have it,
but they should've.
Jesus or Buddha
or No-deity,
all support writers
not having much to say,
but to proffer their notions
"For Free,"
only $24.99, plus tax
for their non solicitation
of their Salvation.

No cheap grace,
drop your cash,
check, or credit card # --
you get to be a newbie,
if you hang in there
learn the language
quote the favorite lines,
next thing you know
you'll be part of the inner circle.
Learn to cry,
offering what you "don't deserve"
if you're blessed
TV's next,
offering your mysteries,
"Please send your tax deductible offering."
No TV?
You can still sell your
Jesus, Buddha
or No-deity
stuff
if it works out
you'll be a beacon,
showing others
the path of Salvation.
maybe here's a place for
imprecatory prayers regarding
Bullshit?
Or,
"Everybody let's get stoned?"
i mean, "get saved."

'Valentine's day'

'Valentine"s day' tomothy r gates, 2/14/2013

Valentine's day?
like st Nicholas day,
legend and folklore
weave sublime queries
transcended by glances,
here and there
by something
less and more,
breathed forward,
"I love you."
Saints and sinners
sit at table
together,
baptized by each other -
tears absorbed,
converted
knowing there's no aloneness.
i behold the Sun,
Moon gazing
in her moisture.

"Salvation can be bought" timothy r gates, 2/5/2013

Salvation can be bought
old 5 & dime didn't have it,
but they should've.
Jesus or Buddha
or No-deity,
all support writers
not having much to say,
but to proffer their notions
"For Free,"
only $24.99, plus tax
for their non solicitation
of their Salvation.

No cheap grace,
drop your cash,
check, or credit card # --
you get to be a newbie,
if you hang in there
learn the language
quote the favorite lines,
next thing you know
you'll be part of the inner circle.
Learn to cry,
offering what you "don't deserve"
if you're blessed
TV's next,
offering your mysteries,
"Please send your tax deductible offering."

No TV?
You can still sell your
Jesus, Buddha
or No-deity
stuff
if it works out
you'll be a beacon,
showing others
the path of Salvation.
maybe here's a place for
imprecatory prayers regarding
Bullshit?
Or,
"Everybody let's get stoned?"
i mean, "get saved."

'got to pull the plug' timothy r gates, 1/24/2013

i'm the big brother
got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
died.
watched the pumped oxygen
leave, thirty seconds
then he was near eggshell hued,
my parents bawled
another younger brother
quietly sobs,
his best friend gone.
chanting the Psalter,
giving room for an exit,
barely a tear trickled
down my cheek
(i bawled through laughter
driving home,
never knew this grief's burst,
before).
watched my mother, my father
weep
when their mothers, fathers
died -
i got to pull the plug,
one younger brother
white like new snow,
mother and dad
shaking out tears,
"We should've gone first."
they will die
some will hurt
some will be numb
some will remember, wishing you didn't
one younger brother
has already
walked through the door.

 

'Beauty found her way' timothy r gates, 1/27/2013

with my Martin
i've played some tunes,
coffee houses
found in different decades,
singing once new original songs.
with pen and tablet
i've written line after line,
now I do the same
on my computer,
in my heart's eye
the yellow legal pad
still sits before my pen.
with brushes and pigments
i've learned to behold
what's never been absent,
llike the sculptor
brushing away
what's in the way of
a David or Diana.
with each breath
Beauty finds her way
to the mountain
looking over the expanse,
only to smile.

 'Nixon was a crook' timothy r gates, 1/28/2013

Nixon was a crook
Watergate was nothing
compared to Vietnam,
freed slaves' children
washed away by Goldwater,
children shot by children
real bullets, not rubber ones --
told 'em to kiss our ass.
Fast foward,
kissing their ass
we tear up at their banners
march in their parades
support their wars,
absolutely are drunk
the kool-aid tastes good --
now requiring flag allegiance.
Detox time!
LSD and buds, easy
WMD and drones, not dreams
Presidents are not rulers
Bishops and priests, kiss your own rings
capitalism has communism's and socialism's disease,
avarice, right of the same few --
tell 'em to kiss each others' ass.

"sixteen, last beaten" timothy r gates, 1/31/2013

sixteen, last time beaten
hands grasping the bottom
of the chair's legs,
daddy's belt,
not one neighbor came
not one called for help
not one believer did more than pray,
called "discipline" in those days -
like Luther's worm theology,
"we only deserve death and hell,"
bullshit to justify psychopaths.
"Everything happens for a reason"
"God has a plan for your life"
"Everything works together for good..."
yes, theocentric egoism.
people think I say what I think.
one friend observed,
"he says about 10%, at best."
no one is beaten near me
no one yells for undeserved mercy
no one needs pray for fairness
My sixteen year old
only sits on chairs
only uses a belt to hold up pants
has no need of discipline's tools.
And the void said,
"Let there be light,"
first came an overcast
then a shadow.
Light.