Prophetic Poetry: A Holy Occasion for Openness, Authenticity and Love Volume 3

By Ronald L. Faust

The cover shows that we need stepping stones to achieve peace and still listen to the spirit of flowing water.
This third volume f trilogy of Prophetic Poetry books, written to imagine peace. The first volume had the subtitle, “Holy Agitation for Peace, Justice and Passion;” the second volume, “A Holy Occasion for Peace. Justice and Ecology.” In a labor of love, poetry becomes an expression of imagination to soften the hard edges, like water flowing over stones to make them smoother. It’s all this and more, as you open these pages and reflect on how to protest the madness. The cover shows that we need stepping stones of peace to reach the other side and still listen to the spirit of flowing water.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronald L. Faust
• Release date: Aug 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301348145

Ronald L. Faust

Ron is a poet and peace activist, who wrote the fiction GAPS and Prophetic Poetry: Holy Agitation for Peace, Justice, and Passion. He received his Doctorate from DREW University in Madison NJ and his ministry and counseling degrees from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and Northwest Christian University in Eugene Oregon. He enjoys supporting peace and justice issues, water gardening and sailing Sabbatical II. Toni received her Masters in Early Childhood from the University of Illinois and teaching degree from Eureka College. Recognized by her Excellence in Education Award, she taught children at all levels and trained as a Montessori teacher. Her secrets for raising children unfold inside these pages and her grandparenting insights can nurture and transform the social landscape.

Book preview

Foreword

MANY PEOPLE feel uncomfortable with poetry, like a distant drone of noisy weed-eaters. Poetry has changed from the sentimental gooiness of contrived rhyming of the last words. But what we have been left with is a collage of words, colliding on the trivial highway leading to dead ends. They know that poetry was meant to be fuzzy, emotional, pointing to a deeper meaning, but it misses the mark, too subjective for reality-oriented thinkers. This Volume of Prophetic Poetry justifies its contribution on the basis that we have not always improved our progress by rational thought if it leads to blowing ourselves up.

Just what is poetry? I think it needs to make love with words. In poetry, words have a certain tingle factor that enhances their sound and meaning. Words that may lead to orgasm and passion rather than ordinary conversations and casual friendship. Words that meet in an exciting tryst of mind and beauty. Something about the choice of words that will linger awhile in the reservoir of deep thought. Secondly, free verse liberates poetry from its shackles of hypocrisy. It no longer has to cram itself into a tight box of rules, nor pretend that it’s only viable for an elitist group of writers. Thirdly, it seems like good poetry has not only an impact in language but also holds the element of surprise. It is most satisfying when what is said is not anticipated and yet causes a person to think more about the idea. It is like a breakthrough from the legalese and rigidity of ordinary observation into the realm of imagination. It lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world and touches the music and imagery of the heart. Fourthly and this is the point of prophetic poetry, it ought to engage us in social transformation and pull us away from the status quo into a new creative realm, a place of openness, authenticity and love.

This third volume follows a trilogy of Prophetic Poetry books, written to imagine peace

"Poetry is a work of peacemaking,

To resolve the conflicts,

To observe the events of the day,

To bring order out of chaos,

To report on human suffering,

To make sense out of the perplexing,

To discover the language of liquidity,

To engage injustices and nudge peace along

In a labor of love we desire a nurturing peace."

– GRAND PARENTING for Compassion and Peace

OPENNESS

The art of creating a flexible attitude

of nurturing a person rather than

setting up strict rules.

– GRAND PARENTING

for Compassion and Peace

by Ron and Toni Faust

A Faithful Life

And what does the Lord require

But to do justice

To offer love in a society

To level the playing field

To stand with the poor

To work to bring the ups and downs

Closer together, more equal

But something else,

To love kindness

To take a softer approach

To avoid the posturing of war

To be equally sensitive to enemies

To shun the trappings of nationalism

To have the courage to be peacemakers

To embrace diversity

And become more tender, gentler

Yet it is even more than this

To walk humbly with your God

To journey quietly on earth

To live a life of integrity

To be faithful to one’s deep values

To honor one’s commitments

To be as authentic as possible

To this end, you have lived life fully

And served life faithfully.

(On occasion of thinking about Micah 6:8 and Micah ministries)

A Journey Between Life and Death

A vast quilt of golden leaves covers the ground

Reminds me of the change from life to death

And back again, only transitions to accept

With no amount of tears, except to ponder

The mystery of the cycle of life and renewal

And replacing the loss by some contribution,

But what I cannot accept is the cavalier attitude

By which politicians try to out-drone