Tag Archives: Steve Shoemaker

Verse – Legislate Morality

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The Pastor asks for those in need
of prayer–
she wants their names. She writes that Bill
will go
for surgery next week. And Ann
retire
at last from waitressing–what will
she do?

In prayer, the Pastor lists each name,
each need.
She celebrates our joys, lists our
concerns–
not that the One who hears has to
be made
aware, but we require the
reminders

of what we are to do: care for
the sick,
go visit lonely folks, give food
and clothes.
Then lobby Congress for new laws
that make
the ninety-nine percent receive
from those

who have it made, a chance, at least
a share
of hope from those who never seem
to care.

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 30, 2015

Verse – They Call Us Chalks

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They all have color,
those in charge.
We are colorless,
pasty, pale, and weak,
vulnerable to the sun,
and visible most nights.
We cannot hide.

Those who are gold
or bronze or ebony
or mixed know they are smarter.
They go where they will.
From the best schools,
they have the top jobs.
They call us Chalks.

They all speak the World Language.
We jabber in Frenglish, Scandy,
Grussian, or Balkan.
We squat in the abandoned cities
while they hum around
in their shade-seekers.
Cancers kill us.

There are tales the Three P’s
once were ours: Power,
Privilege, and the Police.
Now we have one…Poverty.
They tell us what to do.
We submit or are Injected.
Freedom is a dream.

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 21, 2015

Verse – Life Together

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She cleans the floor.
(I clean the ceiling.)
She washes dishes.
(I clean my plate.)
She cooks.
(I report fascinating
stories from the paper.)

I mow the grass.
(She plays in the flower beds.)
I haul the garbage bin to the street.
(She shops.)
I feed the dog.
(Her cat wakes us up
and terrorizes my dog.)

We get along quite well.
(Her list might be different.)

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL

Verse – John 3:16

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Steve’s contribution today is on a well-known, often memorized verse of Christian Scripture.

John 3:16

John could have said God loved only
the Hebrews, or, like him, those who
were followers of Jesus. He,
instead, said, God loves not the few,
but the whole world–how can it be?*

(*This insight comes from the Rev. Jim Montgomery, Decatur, Illinois, who is in no way responsible for any errors in this poem.)

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 17, 2015

Visual Poetry

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Steve flies kites all night when the weather is just right. Last night the kite was poetry in motion over the Illinois prairie. Photo by Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 16, 2015.

Visual poetry

Visual poetry

 

Verse – Me, Me, Me

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Some reasons are easily told
Why I am always so bold
To speak out the loudest,
To simply be proudest,
And all the attention to hold:

For I am the oldest of four
And no one can come through the door
Who’s nearly as great
Since I’m six foot eight!
However, I must tell you more…

I know that pride is the worst sin.
It besets me day out and day in.
But how can I fight it,
Or try to deny it:
I’m tall, dark, and handsome–and thin!

But most think one eighth of a ton
Is NOT slim, and that I’ve begun
To prevaricate,
And exaggerate,
And really I’m tall, bald, and dumb…

Okay, I admit that I’m fat.
My head is too big for my hat.
I apologize
for all but my size–
My parents at birth gave me that.

[5 limericks for Lent]

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 14, 2015

The Shoemaker brothers

The Shoemaker brothers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blank Verse: Singing the Old Hymns

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When I was 15, Dave was 12,
and Joel was 8, and Jim just 4.
Our Baptist parents went to church
with us in tow four times a week:
for Sunday School and Church, of course,
but also service Sunday night,
impromptu, repetitious prayers
on Wednesdays, choir practice each week
on Thursday nights. We played with friends
from school when we walked home from class,
but church and school and play, repeat
repeat, was our whole life. We four
are almost all retired, and none
are Baptist now, but we still sing
the old-time Gospel hymns–if we
have had enough to drink…

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 13, 2015

The Shoemaker brothers

The Shoemaker brothers

 

Verse – After Wine

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after wine 
aboard ship

is the
rolling
of my
walk
from
the wine
or from
the sea

is the
full moon
on the
waves
weaving
webs
of silver
water

is the
love
we found
when younger
bright as
moonlight
rich
as wine

– Steve Shoemaker, cruising the Caribbean, March 12, 2015

Aruba

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flat dry island
cactus aloe yucca
wind blown waves
wind blown trees
always 80 degrees
white sand beaches
cruise ships dock
sails boats yachts
many tropical fish
scuba dive snorkel
tourists shops stores
resturants bars cigars
brightly painted houses
free schools hospitals
hotels windmills golf
time share condos
above ground cemeteries
brightly painted tombs
one happy island

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, March 11, 2015

February in America

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Our Subaru left Chicago
and used each wheel of 4-wheel drive
to navigate 2 feet of snow.

The ice we saw off Lake Shore Drive
got worse as we drove by Sox Park,
but after 97th Street

the Interstate was dry. We mark
the trip-o-meter: it is set
at zero–so is temperature.

We take I-57 south–
by Memphis the results are clear:
one degree warmer on the route

for every 13 miles we drive.
By Florida (smile!) it’s 75!

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL [written from Central and South America without cell phone access]