The New Atheists wants my religion
But not my God.
They want the assumption of Humanism
Without the power to uphold it.

I say, that's the worst form of Christianity
Is one circumcised from faith
But perfunctorily doing its rituals of communion and baptism,
Preaching its platitudes and politics
And worried more about worldly problems
Than a man's soul.
I know, because that's the kind of church I grew up in.

11am

Clouds are rolling in.
A bright haze of sun
Bathed the town
In a murky, but bright light,
But it's being darkened now
By thick clouds coming in from the west.

11:30pm

Yesterday was a picture perfect
Sunny Spring day... Years ago
I prayed for a sunny day today.
But, yesterday, I saw the gulls
Inland at the lake, so knew.
However, the question remains
Will I know there is an eclipse?
Ask that question with me
Because that's all that matters.

The sky has opened up; it's brightened a little;
Blue streaks are across the murky grey
Clouds. A little brightness...
Will I see it? I don't know.
In 2017, I saw the whole thing in such glorious array
Staring into the dark, burnt amber sun;
I do not recommend this, though.

11:45am

The sun is brilliantly shining.
My hopes are not swelling nor receding.
Let God provide the answer;
For it is my delusion, that I am a horrible human being
And that I have a horrible disease.
And, by not seeing the eclipse today,
I will feel like a Judas Iscariot.
For the whole country frets to see
What I fret not to see. For this eclipse tells me
It is this day, and the very hour.
So now, the sun goes behind the clouds once more.

12pm

Angst in me grows, as the drama of today 
Unfolds; an event I've waited for for 7 long  years.
Will I see the thing my soul longs for
Or will I have to have simple faith
That it did? Will I see the great American Eclipse?
Prayer is such a murky thing...
I pray for years ahead of time,
Yet still the dark shadows, they creep
Over my head, and the omens are whispered
From long ago, my hopes dashed.
It does not mean God does not exist;
As sure as there will be an eclipse today
It is, regardless of whether I perceive it.
And that is what faith is.
And perhaps, that is the message today.
Or, perhaps, I will see it, and the message
Will be a different one? I do not know.
Only time will tell what theme my poem arrives
And at 3:16 I will know.
At 2 the sun will begin to darken
And at 3:16 the eclipse will be nigh her full glory.
Will I perceive it then, though?

12:15pm

Time they say is a western concept,
Yet the ancients in all continents used
To track days, by watching the sun.
Aztecs as well as Africans could know
An eclipse would happen on this day--
They had knowledge like so back then
Miraculously enough.
Provided they lived in the region;
But the mages told time through the Sun
The Moon and the Stars...
As the Bible says it is so
Which a man sees the advanced nature
Of my faith, that it doesn't give mystical
Signs to the stars or heavens
But rather sees it like an astronomical clock.

But, what is fulfillment and a great miracle
Are the rivers which appeared in the deserts
Recently--God so cleaved the rock,
And brought the desert people's water.
Thus, their land will flourish like mine
Soon, and it is a happy thing.

The sun is also shining bright right now.
Very bright, as bursts of blue dawn the heaven's raiment
And the thick clouds are a frame around the blue.
And yet again, it recedes.

12:30pm

The Hyacinth and Bluebells have such a sweet smell
So, it is certainly early April, as the redbuds have yet to show.
In their full vigor, both the Hyacinth and Bluebells
In their brilliant Pinks and Blue-Mauve,---
David and Goliath fight their war in the Western Horizon.
Late at night, there is the peaceful time, when all constellations
Are at rest, the Bear and Virgin are seen.
Earlier, around 11:50, Robins made such an impressive
Descent to my lawn, framed by my kitchen window.
I remember seeing the moon and sun, at sunset a month ago
Were nigh one another's path. So, the signs are sure...
The stars do not lie. Even if I do not see them,
It is not the token of a liar that I speak.
For that is faith... I do not wish to be evil
So I do not have to be.

12:45pm

Aggie the Angelfish chases Orange the Tetra;
Nutters the rainbow shark emerges, swimming upside down
To eat a hanging string of algae from the weeds.
Special the plecostomus is hiding,
Barb and Bee, the Green and Red tiger Barbs
Are there, swimming slanted, finding shelter
In the weeds and heater.
Thing One and Two, the tiny albino Catfish
Are there, making their quick trips to the top
Of the tank. Blue, the other tetra
Is swimming somewhere, probably sparring
With Orange for the left side of the tank.
Unaware that such a thing is happening...
It is probably human dread and our very powers of reason
That lead us to such panic over a thing...
For, as many have said, the animals are undisturbed,
And as it happens, they will think nothing of it.
Maybe a cloud passed over the sun,
Maybe something else... they will be there,
Doing what they do, what they always do.
That is the beautiful of a Human Imagination,
That we, through reason, can predict the course of the moon and sun
And through imagination, conjure up hidden omens by them.
The good and the bad of the human mind---
And then there is this poem, which is all the good
Of creative glory, and hopefully none of the bad.

1pm

The cloud cover grows.
Gospel hymns play Blue Grass melodies.
Will there be any stars in my crown?
Surely, blessed assurance,
That because I do not wish to be,
The stars will never lie.
Day by day, I must look upon the cross
And there my serpent hangs;
Like Moses had lifted in the sands
The Law crucified my savior
And subdued Death for my sake.

1:30pm

Last March, the planets paraded,
Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars and the moon
And I saw them there, so magnificent 
And they hovered there long,
For months I could see the reminiscent planets in their Orbits.
Showing perfectly the majestic timepiece 
That nature is. And in 2021, Brood X
Appeared, in large and noisy numbers
And there, my poems were written to the date.
Today, in one hour, the sun will start to be darkened
And I will see, for the second time in my life
A solar eclipse. Yet, will the clouds block my view?
This I do not know. I only know, there will be an eclipse...
And perhaps I may perceive it...
We will see when I make my trip to Pinchot
And walk the trail, what will be, will be;
So the future's not mine to see.
Similarly to 2023, 2004-5 had a planetary alignment too;
And on June 6th, 2006, the world was to end,
But never did. But today, there are rivers in the desert
Feeding God's solitary flock---so I know by that what days we live in
And not the heavenly bodies, nor the cicada broods,
For I am not an astrologer, but an astronomer.
I am not a soothsayer, but a sage.

The sun also is shining brightly;
So perhaps I shall see what my heart longs to see.

2pm

The clouds are dimming the sun.
I think of the Super Moon on 2016,
How I drove down the country highway
And saw it there... in 2014 I learned about them
But could not see them, as there were super moons then,
Too, a rather rare event, as they'd be closer to the Earth
Than at any other time in our lifetimes.
There were to be super moons on those days.
I can see now, the light shining through
A skylight, making a perfect beam upon the white carpet.
Soon, the eclipse will start.
The rain has abated thus far, so will I see what my heart longs for?
The knowledge that I am not what I fear?

The sky does look brighter to the West,
Despite the ominous forecasts of the weathermen.
Blue is showing through...
But we shall see.
Why is a cloud harder to predict than the moon and sun?
Is it because gravity is a constant, whereas
The rain being evaporated from the soil,
In its steams you'd see on a sunny day,
Rising from the soil in haze and fog, that it produces something
Which science cannot tell?
Are there too many variables for the clouds?
It darkens outside...
But the blue is more visible than it once was.

2:15pm

Give me the old time religion,
The one good enough for our fathers and mothers,
Our grandfathers and grandmothers,
For it brought them to heaven...
It's good enough for me.

Joshua went to battle at Jericho,
And Rahab was spared---
War is bloody and evil.
If God cannot lie,
He must say war is utmost evil.
But, sometimes Jericho needs to fall.
The sun begins to darken at this very moment.
Though the sun shines in its full strength
It seems like there is an overcast.
It is a golden color, not like the white blare
Of usual sunlight, but a darker gold.
Like I remembered from last time.
For two hours this eclipse will last.

The overcast of clouds hang over me,
And it is strangely dark.
Ominously, like last time,
It is like the sun is overcast,
But the clouds aren't thick
But the sun is dimmed, though it shines.
The sun isn't very bright, like I'd expect it to be bright, shining in its full strength---
Not like yesterday, where it was clear and white.
Today, it is like a dim flashlight,
Though it shines in its full lumens.

I go outside to check to see if it's cloud cover 
That's dimming the sun, or if the sun has truly darkened.
It has, and my eyes are strained by the dimming rays
As I look out upon the fields.

It is a strange light, the sun fully shines, but it feels like there's an overcast.
And walking outside in the darkness, hurts my eyes;
Just like it did last time, though the sunlight is dimmed.

2:30

Now I shall go to Pinchot, and witness its full glory.

3:45

So, I arrived at Pinchot, soon
And began my walk.
The light shifted from golden, to amber
But the clouds seemed like they would block the eclipse.
Disheartened, but not discouraged, I prayed.
And, soon, the cloud cover began to recede
Right as the eclipse was beginning to darken.

The sky, it soon grew dark, and the patches of blue
Looked like storm clouds, as the sun shined
But it cast a dark glow on everything.
Brighter, but not much, than fire's light.
The amber glow, it began to dim
As I knelt and sniffed the bluebells
Only tasting a hint of their honey scent.
And I stood, and began walking, and soon, 
The sky looked overcast, but the sun hung in peak visibility
Yet it grew darker as I walked toward the paths.
I thanked Jesus in earshot of some fishermen
For fulfilling my petition from seven years ago;
And dramatically, a hazy and cloudy day
Broke into a darkened blue vault just in time for the Eclipse,
And only the eclipse, as it shone in brilliant
Amber and cool light, dimming, dimming, dimming
Until the sky was bluish grey, and I passed a man
Telling him the Sun was God's timepiece.
The old man seemed confused, but knew the sun was darkening at that moment
So people all over the park observed it through their spectacles.
They had the lesser portion though,
As I quaffed all the scenery, and the shifting shades of darkened light I'd only see on that day, and that day alone.
And the shadows which boldly stood
Out in the dimming light,
It was like an overcast, but there was sunlight
Enough to cast bold shadows, as I walked through the woods
And the trees bent in such bold visibility
Like they were outlined with charcoal pencil lines.

Then, I saw a Bluebird fly onto a tree branch, and then a Purple finch did the same
And soon after, as I was walking through the main, gravel park path
The diamond ring shone out--it was a partial eclipse, but there was still 
A moment where the sun was at peak eclipse, and a light 
Cast over my shoulder, like a brilliant stream,
But the dark sky hazed into its darkest yet, evening blue-grey; like thunder clouds, but it was clearest of sky.
A squirrel made its hallelujah, 
As he excitedly ran through the grass, collecting his spring nuts he buried last winter.
It was like walking through a world which was cast through a photography filter,
The golden light which cast its hue over everything,
Or like walking during the evening hour, though it was only 3:21.

Then, the light began to brighten, and it was over,
And I knew I had to come home soon,
And write while fresh in my mind.
On the drive home, I watched the sky lighten up from grey to its darker blue
Like it was at 2:30, and the light went from golden amber to a more yellow-white
And I walked through the door of my house.

So God showed me I have no reason to fret: I am in His golden hour,
On the time, to the very minute, nothing lacking or added.
The stars, they do not lie.
Therefore, I am indeed nothing like a Judas;
For the stars, they did not lie.
And also more-so, the overcast withdrew in that very moment, so I could see and know with certainty
I am my LORD's. And no one can strip me from Him.
And as soon as the eclipse ended, the cloud covering returned, so mysteriously.
For the eclipse, to the day, the hour, the minute, passed before my very eyes.
I am not the monster I fear, for the stars, they do not lie.

I shout, "'tis a vireo I see, so rare
"It loves to hide in the reeds."
No, 'tis not green.
A Boat-Tailed Grackle
A rare bird indeed,
With triangular tail feathers;
The tan variety I had seen.
Twice even in the same day.
It stood on a branch, making melody in the woods
As the children played their hide and seek;
It's trill and chirp was magnificent.

My clumsy words, they are mine.
You may see them, and compare them 
To my predecessors---
Wordsworth, Keats, Byron, Blake
Eliot, Pound, Stevens, 
Dickenson, Poe, Longfellow, Whitman,
Spencer, Milton, Shakespeare, Chaucer,
The heights of Beowulf,
The depths of Yeats,
Coleridge's luxury or Ferguson's wit
Seamus Heaney or Wendell Berry's or Robert Frost's earthy tones.
But I write them, and they are mine.

"Roses are red;
"Violets are violet;
"That’s called a tautology,
"So don’t go and riot."

But is it a tautology,
My dearest old friend?
Or is it actually equivocation
With it’s wind and its wend?

And more importantly do we know
That the violet is purple.
The logician’s an ass
Who is ever so hurtful.

For we look at most things
They are what they be;
So take Logic with salt
And pay the worker his fee.

The Roses and Spring breeze carry your scent like a forest,
The Veronica is blue upon the tourmaline lawn,
I love you, my dear beloved, my dearest,
So with this poem will I muse and I fawn.

Two owls woo each other in the Eve;
David and Goliath fight on the Western Horizon;
They call to one another, to find if they are mates.
The raptor's body flies off the pines
In a large flutter, as it sees me walking.

My Podcast

My Books

Oh, how you beat me in every argument--
One who perfectly speaks the words 
Of an atheist, high and mighty.
I cannot account what God has done throughout history
Or what people have done in His name...
I can only tell you the good I've seen
And the good I haven't seen.
And I know you speak of long forgotten abuses
By a kingdom ruled by Byzantium
But, there is one thing that keeps me tethered to God...
It is that you are not a good person;
And your entire philosophy vanity and complete despair.
You speak of atheists who don't rape---
Maybe they don't, but maybe they do---
Rather, atheism is just this conglomerate of things
And opinions of there being no god
And religion has done all ill throughout the world.
I just know differently, that in the human animal
There lurks an absurd cruelty...
And the only thing I've ever seen take it out
Was not religion, but the Power of Almighty God.
I've seen shifting storms, and winds, and great cruelty abound;
I've seen great wars and great famines and great diseases
All done in no religion's name...
I see it all, and find it pointless.
Because at the end, you are not a good person
And neither am I.
In the end you cannot set all things right.
You find Atheists are moral, I do not.
I'm stunned by their disgusting habits.
You say religion has done disgusting things--
When in my lifetime has it; at least Christianity?
I saw it reign over hearts and minds
And turn people to ways that were more benevolent
And without it, I've seen culture shift more selfish and more self centered
And willing to abandon all  love, for the pursuit of pleasure.
And I see no good in this world
And if you tell me this is all there is,
I will hate you. With the very core fiber of my being.
Not with a violent hatred, wanting to wish you harm
But with a seething love and compassion
Knowing that if you do not wish to live for eternity---
For you only understand this world, and I agree eternity here would be hell---
You do not know the depths of love, you do not know the depths of love
As I do. For I could live on for eternity with God's peace, and that is why I believe.
And in that transcendental flame, I've seen good.
I've seen good, I've seen good, I've seen good;
Not only in myself, but in others.
I've seen a world with God, and a world without Him
And I say, the world hasn't gotten much better without Him.
No, it's only gotten worse. More selfish, more deceitful
And all the things done in the Middleages are done by washington beurucrats
Who don't believe in God one Iota
And I realize, it's just humanity in his simple nature
That causes such pain, as atheists do the same;
It is not religion that removes that from our heart.
No... it is God. And God alone...
The same God who's spoken to me through my Bible
The same God who's healed the blind and deaf
The same God who's raised from the dead
The same God who's turned rivers to blood
And the same God who cast away the child who did great evil, and caused great suffering; 
And turned his eyes black as the pit of coal. 
The same God who gave me the milk of His word, and the wine of His joy
The same God who has defended me through and through.
You make convincing arguments, for a dead philosopher's God,
But the God I worship is alive.
He breathes, and fills, He keeps.
And I do not wish to be the evil man I once was;
And only God can stop that.
And maybe that shows a weakness in me...
But I don't doubt you'd find that same weakness in many others.
Men who hate God, and say they don't rape because they don't want to...
Men who say they don't murder because they don't want to...
We'll see what men do without God...
And I already see its shocking effect on the world, and the depths of sorrow and despair.
For, why do I believe? 
It's because of God's forgiveness.
And then the power to be a better man.
And, this world's sorrows, which are infinite, which as a man who's made errors in my life
I do not wish this world to be my only home.
And that may be weakness, but I think it is actually the greatest strength a man can have.