Child of God
Da guns dey gotta go Dey gotta go Dey gotta go Cause Children s'posed to live S'posed to live S'posed to live Da guns dey gotta go Dey gotta go Dey gotta go Cause Going off to school To get shot To get shot Is wrong On every level Da guns dey gotta go Dey gotta go Dey gotta go And No amount of words and No amount of freedom Make 'em right Make 'em right Da guns dey gotta go Dey gotta go Dey gotta go Hunh
In May (the month of motherhood) Guilt and regret rise As I am reminded of all that I Didn’t do Didn’t see Didn’t hear Didn’t notice Didn’t respond to The ways in which I wasn’t Fair Kind Wise Loving Generous Enough Jesus I bring all that to you The whole hurtful mess of it You who are unshackled by time and space Heal Restore Make up for My egregious lack In Your strong name I bless my children (and my children’s children and and and) With Your healing Your wholeness Your love Your peace Your joy Your restoration Your life In Your strong name I pray Amen
You asked us to be with You In that Shadowy Waiting Dark Scary Lonely Place That place before The Cross We got tired We got sleepy We shut our eyes And couldn’t Stay Awake You knew all that (somehow) Yet/still Invited us In Cause You knew (and we know) That Company (even fickle/faulty) Is welcome (even if they can’t go the whole way) And really The darkest places Are Solitary places Places we go to Alone Death Sickness Suffering Pain Betrayal Rejection Misunderstood Those are the alone places Places we go to Alone Except That You are there Jesus You are there You Who went the whole distance In the dark Are there You You You Are there
Dresses and flowers and looking just right All those years ago Then Time And Tragedy And Distance And Disconnect And I don’t know you Anymore (not really) There’s a hole there now There Where you used to be And I feel that void (from time to time) And It fills with sorrow/regret/guilt Do you feel that hole too That way Do you Poppa I look to you What to do What to do What to do
Fog Shrouds Masks Light Freedom Hope Father We long for (need) Your Light Freedom Hope In these days of Lent I wear that fog shroud Re-calling The steadfast sojourn To that place Where You brought back Light Freedom Hope The best souvenirs of that Terrible trip For us
Same Different Same Different Same Different Same Biggest Fan Also Biggest Critic Same Different Same Different Same Different Same Different Same
I dreamt of you Real and ethreal Your broad strong capable back Leaving (again) And I Breath in new courage To face the day Again
Can I actually turn my phone off What will happen if What disaster will unfold What message will I miss Can I actually turn my phone off What will happen if Who will be neglected If I don’t respond quick Can I leave it on the counter When I go out for a walk Will my followers still like me If I’m not there to check Click
What would it look like If We (His kids) Laid down The Bigness The Production The Work Of (serving/ministry/calling) For Sabbath And (rather) Simply (on that once weekly glorious day) Played and Rested and Loved and Lived in The divine playground (that is the extra-ordinary privilege of) Being a Child In the Family Of God What if we took 0ur divinely decreed Snow day every blessed time (no half-tos) What if we did all that worthy work (paid and unpaid) (on the platform and off) On the other Six What would it look like If
A billet-doux to you Beloved To all those I’ve forgotten Hurt or neglected Over time and changing circumstance And through my paucity of love A billet-doux to you I’m grateful I had you in my life For hours (long or short) I’m sorry for our parting Through Neglect Or Offense (yours or mine) I forgive you for your part And I’m sorry for mine A billet-doux to you Beloved Be well Be well Be well
Colleen R. Jantzen 