Turkey on the table, smiles on the faces. Family together and music in the background. And here, now we gather to give thanks. But what is it, then, that we give thanks for? Turkey on the table, smiles on the faces, family together and music in the background. Peace and comfort. Food and drink. Family… Continue reading Insincere Thanksgiving
Hands in her lap. Eyes clenched shut. Black swells of emotion rushing from deep behind her eyes down to the pit of her stomach. Sketchy scenes replay from her past as if from a damaged filmstrip. Shameful thoughts and conversations bring an uncontrollable shudder from the depths of her soul. For a second, she lets… Continue reading Broken is Not Enough
The good. The polite. The kind. Soft and steady. Calm and ready. Serving in love. But what if I serve in dissent. The hard. The bitter. The abrasive. Impious and unexpected. Alone and unprotected. Could it be good And used for his glory. Or just as a foil In his pre-determined story. This may be… Continue reading Vocation of Dissent
It gets cold. slowly. First a chill on the tip of the nose and a numb little toe. And it cuts a little deeper inside, the darker it gets. A few minutes past sundown and the air is ice. Not only threatening from the shadows, but now stabbing from the inside. Of her throat. Down… Continue reading Cold Hope
That you would love me ever. Even if I went astray. Wander through the darkest caves. Not far enough from your reach. Black to white there’s nowhere lost. And you won’t lose me. What if I have steadfast trust That you would call me always. Stalking never tiring of reaching for my hand. Even when… Continue reading What If I Believe Too Much
On the road to nowhere. Uncertain destination inspires quiet to think. Watching the horizon speed by just beyond the window. Enjoying the beauty of that world beyond and left behind. Eyes following the shoreline as far as you can see in both directions. Remembering vastly different beaches, sand and rocks, waves and seaweed. On the… Continue reading On the Road to Nowhere
Pink flowers etched on to the couch. Faked a smile at the wilting flowers outside the window drenched by the grey. Velvet fabric mocking the outdoor fleshly petals crusting over. At one point in their life, couch and flower, they might have felt the same. But today they are not the same. Unnaturally preserved vibrant.… Continue reading Touch of Regret
Losing since her first breath In a place of nowhere Untouched alone and quiet Eye to eye, thigh to thigh What did she have to know To wander from that sound Choose was is or what could be Playing happy, weren’t you happy? Where did she have to go To find a place of meaning… Continue reading Finding Lilith
Hangs there. Invisible to the eye who looks upon. Heavy upon the chest of those who breathe it. She tries not to inhale that quiet air that she cannot see. It stings the back of her tongue thickly swamping shallow into her lung. Drowning in the quiet air, gasping at the hidden tears bleeding down… Continue reading Quiet Air
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. (Psa 22:6) Small, disgraceful maggot. Chewing on the left-over garbage. Squirming in the mud, beneath the feet of people above. He writhes, they shudder. He drags across the ground, they gag. There is no honor in the disgusting… Continue reading Blessed Worm
Cindy Koch 