pride
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Herod
He cursed the visitors from the East,the so-called wise menwith their outlandish robesand queer accentsand preposterous pronouncements. A week passed,and they had not returned. Stargazers, astrologers, bah!Why had he listened?They had betrayed him, yes?Or were they too stupid (too foreign)to… Continue reading
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The Lowly Wurlitzer
Not to be confused withThe Mighty Wurlitzer,that magnificentdual console,four keyboard,58-rank organanchoring Radio City Music Hallon 6th Avenuein New York City, the lowly Wurlitzerjust moved into our study,a decades-old console pianothat spent its working lifeabsorbing the pounding and gouging,the musical indoctrinationof… Continue reading
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This Dog
This dog– weary of the festivities, quite over the pounding music, the outlandish costumes, the parade of ragged self-esteem, the buckets full of empty– yes, this dog has had enough,and just wants to get hometo… Continue reading
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Claiming Your Gift
I remember when a guestsaw a display of my photosin my hallway at home.He asked,"Who's the photographer?" And I said,without hesitation,"I am." He responded, "Good for youfor claiming your art!"as if to suggestthat many are too timidto do so,when, in… Continue reading
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Pridefest 3
If I am not being authentic,not speaking my mind,voicing my opinion,being fully, absolutely myself,then I am denyingwho and what God embodied me to be. Hesitating,hiding,holding back,harbors death. Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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Pridefest 1
Had I exitedthe straight jacketof faux-straightnessin my early 20s,two questions arise: Would I be alive?(That was pre-AIDS.) And would I have had the gutsto ride nearly naked on a floatwhile Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"blasted to a cheerful, cheering crowd? Let's… Continue reading
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Advent 6
Light breaks through. For ancient Romethe empire represented light–light for the world–the light of the emperor,the light of god. And along come Matthew, Luke, John–all making the radical (dangerous!) claimthat this new one, this baby, this neonateis the actual light of the world–not… Continue reading
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I Am a Poet
I finally said it yesterday:"I am a poet." I said it without discounting or qualifying,without minimizing, fencing or shrinking:I'm a poet.I write poetry. What are you that you can't yet say aloud?painter? author? woodworker?gardener? chef? photographer?scholar? theologian? meditator?yogi? mystic? athlete? child… Continue reading
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The Convention of Jesuses
I elbow through the crowd–so many Jesuses gathered from time,each designed to meet the needof a particular people, place, prejudice, pain… Look over there–pawing over the desserts–Republican Jesus,Democrat Jesus,socialist Jesus,and liberation Jesus,all trying to decide–cheesecake or chocolate mousse? And vigorously… Continue reading