Screwtape Letters comes

to an unplanned, prolonged pause.

Was it the devil’s doing?

~

Tempting the saintly:

this surprise intermission

may lead some to the snack bar.

Must unexpected

contact always engender

caution, distrust, suspicion?

~

The way we react

to the unexpected, can

tell us much about ourselves.

He looks at the world

with soft eyes, a tender heart,

and an open mind.

~

And in so doing,

rent asunder the dark veil

revealing glimmers of hope.

That murder of crows

brawling at the pasture’s edge,

for what scraps are they scrapping?

~

It’s possible they

are mimicking us, hoping

we’ll catch on in time. 

As they look forward,

I look back and see the ways

they, once so very shy, have grown

~

Grown in impatience

and weary condescension

evidenced by their groaning.

Let’s change our focus

from daily complaints

to what feeds our souls.

~

Compassionate acts,

performed without agenda;

truly a feast worth sharing.

Because lichen can thrive

in hostile environments

doesn’t mean everyone can.

~

 Like us, lichens need

clean, fresh air to survive and

we’re threatening even that.

In this modern age,

it seems every call to arms

should foster skepticism.

~

Instead, in these times

it’s the call to have a heart

that evokes skepticism.

What happens when the White House

decides who can talk

and what they can say?

~

The message remains

consistent and the party

continues on unchanging.

 Be on the look-out

for acts of kindness. They are

more numerous than we think.

~

More numerous, yes,

but lacking in the drama

to command the news cycle.