I woke up later than intended from a dream
of finding at long last a building for our church
but being overlooked and out-bid at the end
by much a far greater offer made than the ask
by a local mid-size construction company.
Arising with a prayer, I gave thanks to the Lord,
who woke to me this day, that the nightmare ended
and was less a shadow of things to come, than firm
and real. I dressed and snuggled with the children who
had also woken-up. After many kisses
and huggings, answered emails, posted things on Slack
and prepped lessons. Breakfast. Load-up. Drive to our school.
Then chapel. Latin. Literature. More Emails.
Then meet with Warden. Then meet with parishioner.
Then Drama club recap, talk with ole Deacon Ben,
and drive the kiddos home.
Homework time now for them
and more admin work for me as I prepare things
for our episcopal visitation this year.
I pause my work to help with math and attitude.
We gather for dinner and for prayers at table
and around the meal we share highlights from the day.
I leave to attend the Perspectives Class at church.
I linger long in the parking lot at the end
to speak with my good friend and junior warden
about upcoming church things before driving home.
Once home, I greet wife, and begin the work I did not
do before dinner began, discussing at breaks
in the work how she is doing, drawing the threads
of earlier, interrupted conversations,
which have lain fallow till now. I resume my work.
she also begins her work (some financial stuff
she’s looking into for us). She then goes to bed.
I remain. I write this. I write emails. I make
plans for our church, I follow-up on overdue
things to do.
I write this versed sort of litany,
in preparation for Compline. Neither poem
nor liturgy, nor challenge, but the discipline
of speech and memory into prayer at close
of day, thereby bringing the raw and ragged stuff
of the daily life into the tight and formal
as an offering unto the Lord, “Here you go”
so to speak, “Thank you for the life. Here is my day
returned to you in meters of twelve syllables.
Take joy, my King, and may these small beads in a row
on this necklace overwhelm you; and may these eyes,
lifted if only for these composing moments,
unrhymed and tired, raze your walls and please your Heart.”

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