Cateel Surf Girl

 

She surfs Cateel

Kumar, Kulas on her sides

Parting waves and hair

Gary Edward Geraci

Sacred Vessels

 

Simple cynicism, where sin isn’t.

Purged of penance, a mere animal existence,

Coveting what’s mine from your self-interests,

Governed by forces I trust others have discovered.

Yes, with clouded lenses and wooden shovels,

We marvel, surface scraps dug, medieval man’s past,

Meaning left impoverished, pottery pieces

Placed beneath bright lights, the museum glass

Polished, a placard dates the discovery.

Dig, dig deeper, where sacred vessels are preserved!

And Incarnate Blood and Flesh were once observed!

And masses fed during the holy Masses said

With chants and songs and throngs in communion,

Beloved bound, God’s Love the same then as now!

Gary Edward Geraci

Tongue Lashing ‘Herod’

 

Restraint, the retraining of the tongue,

The smallest but largest loud speaker,

Tamed by the mind and will, its keeper,

Fashioned after the Height, the High Rung:

Let us love all, the new song, now sung;

The message, a change in direction:

Stop, don’t react, pause in reflection.

‘Herod’ demands your fidelity,

Your allegiance: “I am your king, be

Subject to me and my correction!”

Until a Babe in a manger section

Of a livestock stall sent him to his knees.

Gary Edward Geraci

Wonder Counselor

 

Exalted, grand people of power proud,

Even handed, world leaders, every age,

Righteous, a handful filled with right wisdom.

Yet which one among these could I hope to stand

And converse freely? Fade, fear of judgement!

You are my Wonder Counselor; dare I

Forget? I ready myself to speak Scripture,

There You are, only a few feet away!

Dare I seek an equal, a counterpart

Of earthly origin, to represent me? 

Feet feel a hounding heaviness when my

Search fails, finding not one; not One is found!

Men masquerade, fueled by paper currency!

Yet, You are One with me, Best-of-the-Best,

Becoming One with me, and at what cost?

Peace, love: to love Love and to love others;

To pray for those who would persecute you,

Advocating justice, willing their good;

Walk now in my Presence, lighting shadows;

You have found Him Whom there is no higher.

Gary Edward Geraci

Christ the King

 

Christ the King

Is it hope or doubt when I plead aloud

About faith in Christ, Queen Mary Mother,

The Angels, the Saints? “Let it all be so!”

Is it a sin to repeat? “Please be true!”

Please be true in a world choked with deceit.

Is it prayer or despair to check for proofs,

Reread the Sacred, and question the Texts?

Can I shake my head at scandal and sin

But still be faithful to the Voice within?

Divinely inspired, when you’re mocked by men,

Even Christian siblings, supposed kin, 

“Grace!” cry “God’s grace!” for Freedom set me free:

Bound first, wrists nailed, with a body hanging,

First-Born-Flesh, resurrected Divinity.

Gary Edward Geraci

(I don’t know it all)

 

Abandon myself

More Him less me, let it be

(I don’t know it all)

Gary Edward Geraci

From the Muck

 

In memory of Lee Kuan Yew

From the muck, against

All odds, rose a splendid sheen, 

A southeastern star,

She set the bar for her kin

And close neighbors to exceed.

Gary Edward Geraci

Horizontal Callie

 

I am vertical, 

my characters, 

horizontal.

Poets are 

horizontal and

God, vertical.

Callie lacks free will,

she’s of my mind.

But in my poem, 

her actions have 

consequences. 

My mind found 

free will,

my mind found 

Callie.

Actions with consequences,

there is nothing without God.

Gary Edward Geraci

On Hiatus with a Praying Mantis

 

On hiatus with a praying mantis,

Lured by the Light, hands pressed in front of us,

A meal we seek: may mine be Glorified,

With snap and pop his falls electrified;

God’s creation, nothing superfluous.

Gary Edward Geraci

Jefferson Port

 

Bygone,

Steamboat steam stacks

Tall topping old shore pines

Blowing through a chocolate bayou,

Bustling.

Gary Edward Geraci

Weeping for Lazarus

 

You wept for mankind;

Scanning your twelve followers,

Your fate was their fate.

Gary Edward Geraci

video in the mail

 (dearest Flannery O’Connor: One Heart now)

dad once wrote in, gave them my address, 

requesting one of those  ‘calling you 

back home’ videos. I wasn’t interested.

like a dog, I was chasing girls, not church 

dogma. But I held unto it anyway. 

some years later, I did come back to 

church, strong. Though it turns out dad had turned 

away, didn’t like the ‘new’ Mass, wanted 

things like they used to be, and just stopped 

going to Sunday services. My eldest 

brother felt the same way, wound himself 

so tightly to anti-Pope Internet 

people, he ended up leaving it

all together, making his announcement 

right about when my dad laid down to die. 

my younger brother had also gotten 

out completely, a good while back, 

a born-again evangelical now 

or something like that. funny, how 

all three of us were altar boys growing 

up, going to Mass every Sunday 

like ‘good Catholic’ people do. 

I don’t know what happened to us but 

only it’s a suffering I now offer up.

I phoned for a priest who visited 

my dad, watched him receive Viaticum and 

what would be his last Holy Communion. 

Gary Edward Geraci

Aha Ka Paingun? (Ahhah kah pah een woone)

 

Aha ka paingun?

Sins like lead, hell’s my doom,

Aha ka paingun?

Eternal reparations loom,

Aha ka paingun?

Boxed in, four walls, dank room,

Aha ka paingun?

Putrid, and full of gloom,

Aha ka paingun?

They’ll spit and spat on my tomb,

Aha ka paingun?

When the noose tightens and consumes

Aha ka paingun?

This gross life brought forth from a mother’s womb.

Aha ka paingun?

Quick, bring me the Bridegroom!

Aha ka paingun?

The life I led, lies and fumes

Aha ka paingun?

Of smoke and wayward tunes,

Aha ka paingun?

Manmade idols, costumes!

Aha ka paingun?

Once baptized, may I assume?

Aha ka paingun?

Your Mercy? God’s Mercy I presume!

Aha ka paingun?

My Catholic faith! I resume…

Aha ka paingun?

Lord, after death, shall I bloom?

Gary Edward Geraci