folksong…

The trunk of memory
guards brittle pages of
a tune we used to sing – 
He’s got the whole world
in his hands – but we’ve
outgrown folk and their
songs. These days we
play fast while the whole 
world scrolls at our finger-
tips, long ago dismissing
the primitive notion that
you and me brother, not
to mention the little bitty
babies and the wind and
the rain, are even here in
the first place due to the
camp meeting dreams of 
an infinitely tender hand,
and that all the verses 
might just be more than
we the people were ever
meant to hold.
 
– for Len Sweet
 
 
 
 

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10 Comments

  1. Lindsay on January 8, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    Love Len Sweet and your poem in his honor.

  2. Lizzie on January 8, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    Truly beautiful, and the perfect poem for my sabbath. Glad I stumbled upon this blog.

    • thebeautifuldue on January 8, 2012 at 8:46 pm

      Thanks, Lizzie…you are welcome to stumble around here again.

  3. thyrkas on January 8, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    There is a ‘so beautiful universe’ of meaning in your wonderful poem, John. It just might make a scripture-soaked, aqua colored, Jesus-following semiotician sing.

    • thebeautifuldue on January 8, 2012 at 8:49 pm

      Well, if it does that’d be swell, just swell. Thanks for stopping in…

  4. Bill Gillin on January 8, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    Well said, John. We scroll the whole world with our fingers, and miss the Creator of the universe!

  5. paula jones on January 9, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Absolutely beautiful. I love your work and look forward to each new installment immensely.

  6. Leonard Sweet (@lensweet) on January 9, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    I am so honored by this, John. A first for having a poem dedicated to me. “Camp-meeting dreams” says it all . .. .

    • Leah Downs on January 11, 2012 at 7:35 pm

      wow, two of my favorite writers on the same thread, one dedicating a poem to the other. i’d call that a two-fer. love the poem John, it sure says much about Leonard that you would dedicate it to him.

  7. Matthew Kreider on January 10, 2012 at 4:00 am

    This reads like a campfire. I’m mesmerized and staring into it.

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