Author: Sal

Post-election poetry night on Catholic Light

I saw Pete’s post below and couldn’t resist. I wrote this some time after the 2000 election. I was hoping to make a children’s book for adults. I didn’t get very far. Add stanzas in the comments if you wish!

The very hungry democrat
Pay your taxes – I need the cash!
I can’t have too much in my stash
Congress sits with knife and fork
Don’t trim the fat - just pass the pork!
Another program sounds delicious
Count on me being meretricious
Poor Bill is gone, but Hill’s still here
2004 we will not fear
We’re safe - Riady copped a plea!
He could have hurt the DNC
Surely he was no man’s fool
But China needs a brand new tool
Too bad for Bush, I wanted Gore
Now I have to bank offshore
I’m on your side, don’t call me wacky -
I brought the suit on big tobaccy!
With sophistry I do disarm
I'll subsidize your llama farm
I welcome souls through borders free
You can’t speak English? Vote for me!
I’ll save the earth and hug the trees
Put out that cigar, if you please.
I’ll clean the water then clear the air
What’s a billion here or there?
Don’t ask me who keeps the books
Where the cash goes no one looks
You can’t deny my bleeding heart
So unlike Strom, that mean old fart!
I’ll spend your bread on this and that
I’m the very hungry democrat!

Jim Robbins muses about the “End of the Clinton Era” over at The Corner.

What do you think did the democrats in this election?

IT’S ALL CAPS DAY ON CATHOLIC LIGHT! ALL CAPS, ALL DAY!

I WENT TO A ROCKIN’ MASS ON ALL SAINTS DAY AT MY CHURCH. THERE WERE FOUR GUITARS, AN ELECTRIC BASS, A MANDOLIN, A FLUTE, A SHAKER, A HEADLESS TAMBOURINE, AND A GAGGLE OF TIGHT-THROATED SINGERS. OH, THERE WAS A PRIEST AND TWO ALTAR BOYS AND A LECTOR AND A CONGREGATION. I NEARLY FORGOT WHERE I WAS SINCE THE “ENSEMBLE” WAS JAMMING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TIME THAT THE PRIEST WAS READY TO PROCESS IN. I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE IT. WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN IN THEIR GARAGE. I AM GOING TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE LITURGY DIRECTOR. I THINK I WILL WRITE IT IN ALL CAPS SO I LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE LUNATIC.

BUT SERIOUSLY, PILGRIMS, RELATIVE SILENCE BEFORE MASS IS APPROPRIATE, EVEN REQUIRED FOR THE FAITHFUL TO PREPARE. LISTENING TO CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, HAUGEN, AND HAAS NOODLE ON THEIR AXES DOES NOT HELP ONE COMPORT HIMSELF FOR MASS.

PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS. THX!

Another tale of the Fugitive

For those of you who are not regular readers of CL, I some times relate stories about a woman I work with who left the Church when she got to college. Here I call her “the Fugitive.” In real life I use her given name.

I was walking past the Fugitive’s desk and noticed a post-in note hanging beside her computer. It was a quote she’d written down for inspiration.

If I say but one prayer in this life and that prayer is “thank you”, then that would be enough.

I grabbed a post-it note and wrote on it the following. I then tacked it up right underneath her original note.

“Eucharist” comes from a Greek word that means “thanksgiving”

When she saw it later she said, “That’s neat. I never knew that!”

The parting of friends

Next Monday I will say good-bye to the sweet kitten I recently rescued and named “Lisette.” I have found a great home for her. A little more than ten years ago I said good-bye to another woman named Lisette who is now a Poor Clare. She gave up that name for a religious name a long time ago. I’m somewhat ashamed to tell you that I don’t know what it is. She left every bauble and empty promise of this world for a life of total poverty devoted to God. Her feet are bare feet now as are those of her sisters. The community is entirely dependent on God’s grace and the generosity of others for the necessities. When I found this tiny kitten she was in the very same state though completely alone. After some thought I decided to name her “Lisette” in memory of my dear friend.

We exchanged letters only once after the entered the cloister. More than that I’m afraid would have been a distraction for her and too much for me. While in college we dated for about a year and a half before she became a religious. Actually we were best friends who kissed goodnight every now and then. Since we weren’t kissing anyone else goodnight we agreed that we were dating. I loved her enough to give her the space she needed for the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s perfect will for her. I knew God had plans for her. I was at peace with that. Looking back on our relationship I know the Spirit had to be at work. In my whole life I have never been as much at peace in a relationship as I was with her.

The time came very quickly that we would see each other for the last time. We said good-bye at her parent’s house just days before she entered the cloister. We cried and embraced. I took a step back from her to look into her eyes.
“It broke,” she said.
“What broke?” I whispered.
“My heart.”
When I say good-bye to this kitten I will tell her what I wish I had told Lisette at that moment.
“When you die, Lisette, go straight to Heaven and wait for me there.”