growing up as the God-man
Harvey S. Mozolak
he has left the bed
of animals
Joseph borrowed a house
from some distant kindly
relatives
and he is walking now
it seems early
but somehow nothing he will
do
will probably be premature
when he walks around the room
outside in the small street
and at the nearby field where
Mary
takes him for air
it is like he is a wild
creature
caged or un-caged
it is difficult to tell
Auden called him a tiger
once I versed him a panther
his Book said behold a lamb
he has begun to hunt
and stalk evil where it is
found
in the neighborhood and
nation
like a child who cannot let a
pet or beast
be still he will find the foe
and confront its tottering
stand
with childlike simplicity of
spirit
himself the taunted prey
he the serious game in grace
this is where my Father
sent me to walk
and take a stand
in a sapling
he tells Mary he wishes today
to climb
to see beyond Bethlehem's soft beginnings
she warns him of its dangers
one hand to each low branch
he places
he has not yet strength to
climb
will the pure and holy virgin
aid this early crucifixion?
are these the lion claws of
Judah mounting
he the treed king of beasts?
straw pole
Harvey S. Mozolak
a hey for the hay
he’s bailing us out…
born beneath
the post
holding up the roof
of a barn
with stars stowed
in the rafters
caught
Harvey S. Mozolak
a manger moment
caught in time
frozen figures
warm God
caught just in time
for life beyond
refigured
God’s yes
Harvey S. Mozolak
one large brown leaf
enough to cover
our fall?
December speaks
through the spokes of tree
limbs
beyond the stars themselves
a knowing “no”
in the nakedness of God
earthbound
table of Christ
Harvey S. Mozolak
the fragrance of setting
the communion table
wine unstopped
sharp free opened grapes
aged sweet and mellow
leaping to awareness
a life beyond the flask
beyond into the air
unseen but tasted
bread one whole
ready to be broken
and passed to hands
warm like awaiting ovens
faucet shut off
Harvey S. Mozolak
the phrases flow
wetting with ebony
a great deal of paper
with drying thoughts
of the ever God bowed
bent and twisted
into the dates of Augustus
but after the twenty-fifth
we quit counting
and only he does
for us
Christmas Sursum
Harvey S. Mozolak
cold this night when the
night
creates anew all days
and an infant’s birth and
breath
begins the opening of all
graves
and closed hearts
when a baby’s beginning cry
are the first words of God
in our living human tongue
God singing to silence
angry un-quietude with peace
come here and near
and offered to us
the blood of God surging
in the cup Mary bears
and Joseph lifts up
diminishing the morning light
with the tiny tender
struggling body
we receive and hold as warmth
o magnum
mysterium
Harvey S. Mozolak
the enclosed within
maiden-held God
o great the small
he the I AM of all
mystery come to dust
and flesh for faith
in the greatness of the
unseen
contained for us
to blanket bind bruise
bleed and bury
for from his bandages
for from his bandages
the blessing of healing
will come
post feast post
Harvey S. Mozolak
when it is over
all that is left
the red tail lights
left from looking
down the streets
of strung blinking lights
the cold pots and dishes
soaking in the sink
lost Legos making their
way
deeper into couch cracks
and the flesh of gifts
crumpled un-ornamental
balls bagged for the trash
he is off to Egypt amid
slashes of red
washed and walking the
shore of the sea
then like a prayer shoved
into the seams
of the walls of the
city-promised peace
the earth unraveled
rutted with ruin
is his swaddling for death
and when it is over
all that is left
is his life posted
that we might live
afterWord and feast
gloria
Harvey S. Mozolak
above
the wool-dotted field
a
corona of angels
lights
and warms a flock of men
as
yet manger-unknown
lamps
lit to lead
to
the light of life’s new breath
where
Joseph whispers
Mary
quietly sighs
as
the baby cries
in
a barn’s darkness and cold
higher
than the hills
Harvey S. Mozolak
the
angels are painted
in
glory about the madonna
with
the Christ-child
a
picture that did not take place
others
with cows
donkey
and sheep show
although
the
unclean shepherds
crowding
within
under
the loft of hay
peaking
beneath the straw
at
the blanketed babe
have
just seen
been
to a concert
of
an angelic choir
their
hearts must still
beat
in blessing
thump
and trumpet
with
the high praise
shepherds’
flocked praise
Harvey S. Mozolak
song
from sky
sad
and hurt bleats
among
lost lambs
ewes
and rams below
readied
for sacrifice
a
tree cold
covered
with rare snow
for
the star of stars has fallen
for
the herd has been heard
by God
art by Moze
Shawn A. Mozolak
2015
earth kept
by king
David’s greatest child
God’s sole
Son
we are held
in the keep
of the Shepherd of Israel
fed in the
lowly Lamb’s manger
by the living
staff of life
wood- one day his
scepter of mercy
hoc est
corpus meum
chaliced in
our hands
HSM
2015
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