Photography
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After One Martini
After one martiniand half their order of crostini,he confessed:"When it comes to Godand matters of faith,I have many doubts." She put down her glass."Sweetie, that's very good." "Good?" he asked. "Well, yes.Doubts are empty spaces waiting to be filled,like holes… Continue reading
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The Bigger the Doubter
The bigger the doubter,the harder (and farther)the fall into faith. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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Perfection
After month upon month in ICUmy sister reached perfectionand said,"Enough."The word came from a puffy, pale face,beneath what had been a crown of thick, cascading hair,but was now only scattered brown tufts. "Be ye perfect,"Jesus had said to her.Hers was… Continue reading
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The Common Hearse
It's time to write a simple versein honor of the common hearse,sleekly polished, darkened glass,slowly taking one last pass down the tree-lined avenues,past long-assumed, familiar views–street lamps, fences, kids at play,neighbor's gardens, Miss Delay, whose laundry flaps despite the rainfrom… Continue reading
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A Fine Poem
A fine poem is good wine.You may prefer yours dry or sweet,simple, daring, comforting, neat,ironic, seductive, complex, complete. An acquired tasteso don't in haste abandon the effort;don't just read the words,roll them around the tongue,spit them out, sip again,let them linger:clover,… Continue reading
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I Lay on My Back
I lay on my back in bedand reach one arm upward,holding my hand open:"Take it," I whisper to God,"Just this once,grasp mine in yours;then I will be certain." My hand hangs suspended,waiting. It's easy to do this–try it some night–for… Continue reading
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Ataraxis
In the land of Ataraxis,in a village made of stonestands a cottage built by practiceof compassion slowly honed. On a hill of Ataraxisin a cottage built of brickson a table set for mourninglies a man whose eyes are fixed not… Continue reading
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Job II
And what would you have said?"Life sucks"?"There is no answer"?"God is capricious and uncaring"?"God? What God?""Try meth instead"? I would have sat beside himand wept. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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Job I
So Job asked(quite reasonably),"What the hell?" And God answered(equally reasonably),"Who the hell are you to ask?" And in the impasseboth realizedthe equal needone of the other. So go ahead and ask,"What the hell?" And don't be surprisedwhen God responds,"I don't… Continue reading
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All God Wants
All God wantsis to sit silently beside you on the porch swing,gazing at the sun setting over the lake,listening to the whippoorwill deep in the beech wood,watching the bats swoop after insects,knowing that this is enough. Text and image ©… Continue reading