“……and we surrounded the enemy with HUSH!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“……and we surrounded the enemy with HUSH!”

 

 

 

 

As Mistress Mouse, Littley Lamb, Old Crookeye, and Old Dog picked peas,

Flop-Eared Boy and Donkey flapped and flipped sighs of woe

From way out in front near raging cursin’ from enemies in th’ lees

All worrisome to healers in th’ rear feelin’ fear for Spottedy-toe.

 

 

Now Spottedy be stronger, yet quakin’ as he shadowed Croaker,

Who now belched: “Old Crowsy, ye needs take your eyes higher!

“Higher, from that Crowser Lady, higher to see which way we stroker

Away, away, away from mean ol’ beasties drivin’ pea-pickers in mire!”

 

 

“Be ye still, be ye in peace,” came a whisper from down low,so low.

“Be ye filling ye-selves up to blow a mighty HUSH,” came from the dust.

“Be ye holdin’ ye-selves encircled by the Light from that scattering blow

Of glinting rocks a tumblin’ from th’ mighty kick a’ Spottedy-crust.

 

 

“Oh, yes, sweet friends,”did now whisper Cuddles over the fields.

“Oh, yes, dear ones-with-The-One, fill up now to blow Eternal Hush

“O’er these fields and rocks and rills down to the sea of enemy yields.

“For we are healed by The Light and we are Freed by The Light.”

 

 

“Oh, meezie, oh myzie,”burped Old Croaker back up to Ugly Bird with Crow.

“We uns needs not see which way dose beasties do come up at us!”

“We uns only needs to see little more Light, little more Bright to show

How we filled with Love from The One to Blow a Major Hush on that beastie bus!”

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“……and then the terrapin blinked.”

 

“……and then the terrapin blinked.”

Lookin’ up into the top of his shell, dear Terrapin did blink!

“Oh, meesies, mysies, where beez dat light comin’ from?”

Dear Terrapin did ask his heart while stoppin’ his mind from think.

“Oh, goodness graciousies, me feels more light like at a prom!”

 

 

Then did dusty voice from under Terrapin toes did croon,

“Ye gets this light from your own soul, ye shell-hous-ed son!

“Ye stored light from Cuddlies’ pats and Jitters’ toe-taps in boon!

“Ye has light to show you way to all friends’ help Spottedy as one!”

 

 

So did Terrapin look out to brink and crawled to each friend in turn:

“Come, ye Old Turtley; come, ye Flop-Eared Donkey and boy;

“Come, ye Old Shepherd and Cross-Eyed Dog; Come, let us learn

“How to forgive and help and rescue Dear Spottedy from being a crash-ed toy!”

 

 

For each time Terrapin blinked, Rainbowsy lights did glint from each wise eye,

Signalling the friends to move and embrace tottering Spottedy on that cliff,

With Turtley offering strong back and Crookeye lifting up goat so high

As to rest on Donkey’s back, held by arms of boy and Old Shepherd without miff.

 

 

“Oh, how ye get all friends to forgive and rescue, dear Terrapin so smart?”

Did Spottedy pant and weep while draped on Donkey so weary but true.

“Oh, I just heard dusty voice saying I must blink the light into each heart;

To point the way to release old thoughts and rejoice in love for our crew.”

 

“……Oh, who is that telling us we cannot give up?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“……Oh, who is that telling us we cannot give up?”

 

 

 

Stoppely, poppely, trammely, scammely friends did go down:

Go down in heaps of arms and legs and noses and ears so warped

As they squeezed into ever more narrow trails to reach a crown

Of glory they knew only by report, never seen yet as they carped.

 

 

“Oh, we uns so measely, so weasely wid all dis fallin’!

“Why, oh why, canst we not just lie down to die?

“Why, oh, why canst we not be done, not countin’, so smallin’?

“Weez be better for feedin’ de weeds in dis earth, no more to try!”

 

 

Then came whirlwind and dark, then oh-so-bright and still:

The Voice: “Where were you when I made the rocks and the weeds?

“Where were you when I set all these sunrays and starbrights to thrill?

“Where were you when I set this clear, narrow path for questing deeds?”

 

 

“Hark and bark, ye knockin-noggin critters!” called down Old Crow.

“Hear now the voice of Your Lord telling of all His Power to hold you,

“To hold you on this path, to uphold you in His Care, all for to show

“His Glory in making so great rewards and crowns for the true-blue.”

 

 

“……but I’m not GOOD enough!”

 

 

 

 

“……but I’m not GOOD enough for that High Room!”

“I not good enough,clean enough for goin’

into that High Room of Light,” moaned one critter,

that Flop-Eared Donkey, brayin’ in sad groanin’

in the Wind of Disgust of mind in fear so bitter.

 

 

 

Flop-Eared Boy ran to cry on Donkey’s neck:

“You beez mah fweenz, youz carry mah load!”

“Waitsee,waitsee,” spouted Big Croakie on deck.

“Dat beastie kicked me down no bettr’n a toad!”

 

 

 

So Boy pulled one donkey ear to lead up to Room;

But Croakie hopped on other ear to smash back down:

“He’uns no go in High Room of Light wid ME!”did boom

Out Old Croakie in great frantic hoppin’ under mean frown.

 

 

 

“Then ye can just hop right on out with Snarlies and Growlies,”

pointed all friends in winding chorus blowing up to high shelf.

“Oh,me, oh my, oh bye-bye,” Croakie wept deep in his bowelies.

“Oh, I sees now I give not to Donkey what I’se wants for Self.”

 

 

 

“Oh, please, please, O thou dear cloud o’ witnesses so clean:

“I is beggin’ just one-toe-room in low,low corner of High Space.”

Then did Flop-Eared Donkey step right up smartly to keen:

“Oh, now ’tis I who begs dis Croakie to be forgivin’ me w’out trace.”

 

 

 

Then didst Littley Lamb whisper up to Old Crow:

“Let Rainbow Fly gleam on Donkey and Frog alike,

“Flap them both right quick, quick up and up in tow

“Right straight into High Room free from all strike.”

“……Save us from that snorting and growling!”

 

“……Save us from that snorting and growling!”

 

 

 

So now all filled and thrilled our friends do lean

On rocks in mock of bugs in rugs so snug

All friends, all fed, now thinking to preen

Without a care one last drink to chug.

 

 

 

 

“What, what, bot, bot?” did Crookeye and Bushy disclaim.

“What means such snorts and growls on the prowl?”

Did even Crow and Ugly flap in wonder not so tame.

“How canst Rainbow Light have faded with this howl?”

 

 

 

 

“Quick, quick, slide under this shelf,” bleated dear Littley Lamb.

So scarce awake did friends roll and squeeze and tug under ledge.

“What, what, ye bot-bots?  scrape ye selves back, back, bam, bam!”

Did Lambey push all friends into glinting hug of Rainbow Fly.

“……and we so hungry now are full”

 

“……and we so hungry now are full”

Comes Spottedy Goat and Littley Lamb, so draggely

in finding through singing and dancing all friends in far

distances ne’er foreseen ‘fore meetin’ th’ Babe so spraggley

tellin’ of questin’ and Light-n’ing for to seek without bar.

 

 

Comes Old Crookeye and Sheepsey Dog and Croakey

all stumbly and bumbly and hoppey and boppey to enter New Way

Comes Turtley and FloppyEared boy and donkey so stokey

with strange airs and spare dews and scarce grains for the day.

 

 

“Aye, aye, ye critters and unfolk,ye brothers and sisters so rare:

“Now be ye hunger so, thirst so for right true-blue berry and fruit,”

Crooned down Ol’ Crow from above New Trailin’ Way so fair.

“Now ye needs put eye and nose and ear to findin’ food w’out soot.”

 

 

“Oh, oh, dear Crow and Ugly Bird, we’uns so weak, so starved a’fore New Way,”

groaned all critterly friends in floppin’ and boppin’ and stoppin’ on path.

“Oh,  no, my no, all ye wingedy ones up high point to no food, no tray

of feedin’ such seekin’ groundlings just as we come to True Way in bath.”

 

 

For, lo, the critters did lay all about on high rocks o’er falls so pure and clear

Yet showing no vines or trees, neither fruit nor nut nor crust of ol’ fish.

“Oh, oh, woe, woe we bee’uns w’out food for bodies all stretched to get here;

“Oh, weesie beesie all knackered and knockered w’out hope of a dish.”

 

 

“Wait, wait, halt, halt, ye moanin’ groanin’ critters down there,”did call Ol’ Crow.

“Spot ye now, squint ye now, hear ye now, yon Bluesey divin’ in rushin’ river.

“Stand tall, ye now blessed critters, for ye soon be feed with Livin’ Bread down low.

“Stretch out ye hands and touch a New Bluesey, Now Rainbow Fly, w’ promisen quiver.”

 

 

 

EIGHT WEEK THURSDAY: PEACE LINKS TO GRACE

This is the promised Part Three of my QUIET-PEACE-GRACE set of essays.

So I just listened to a cloud and held my breath and smiled at a stranger.  Then he smiled at someone during their rudeness to him, and the rude one flew to a far country and smiled and someone about to pick up a rocket launcher listened to a cloud.  So now we have peace, just like that?  Well, yes and no.  Yes,  I and the stranger driving by my roses and the rude clerk and the farway fighter do now have a connection in peace.  No, not all the other neighbors nor all the other customers treated rudely nor all the other soldiers in that far way camp instantly experience peace.  BUT……..

All the other neighbors and all the other customers and all the other soldiers now stand right beside a presence of QUIET and PEACE.  QUIET and PEACE radiating outward from just one single person in each time and place form an aura, an almost-halo, a CLOUD, if you will, of prescient GRACE.  Yes, GRACE: that which makes spiritual growth possible.  And is not spiritual growth totally essential to build an environment for PEACE?

Why is GRACE necessary for spiritual growth?  It is necessary just as a seed is necessary to a plant, just as water and air and light and proper soil are necessary to a plant.  But can the plant survive, much less grow, if it is stepped upon in haste?  No, the plant must be allowed to be still, be “quiet” within its space in order to experience the peace necessary for fruitful growth.  WE must allow ourselves quiet and peace before we can receive enough water and light and air and nutrients to soak into ourselves to grow, to thrive.  And is this not one of the forms of GRACE?  And if carrying GRACE inside us, would we not then be fostering PEACE just by our very presence?  Would we not then be links in a chain of peace?

Now, are we simply dropped into little spaces of quiet and peace?  No, we surely are not.  Therefore, we must just stop, hold a breath, slow our seeking hearts, empty our searching minds, and become like Gandhi and Solzhynitsn and Jesus of Nazareth before Pilate.  Like them, we must just be quiet both with our mouths and within our very souls.

May GRACE abound!