an old writer and his words

  • STOP THIEF

    NOTE: TODAY’S POST FOLLOWS BELOW: Dear poetry-lovers,           Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following my blog. Some of you have been daily readers since it began 9 years ago, some are more sporadic or more recent followers.  Thank you one and all. As you can imagine, it takes a fair amount…

    Lou Faber

  • MURDER

    It is one thing to murder your little darlings, as writers like to say, but as a poet it is wholly another thing to murder your children, those you have raised from birth on the page, tended with care hoping they might one day leave home and find their place in the world. How do…

    Lou Faber

  • THIS IS NOT: AN APOLOGY

    This is an apology I never wantedor thought I would have to write butnow, my grandchildren, it is necessary. This is not the world I wantedto leave to you, what I had hopedwas a world at peace, a world whereyou could be anything without beingjudged or shunned, where wordshad meaning and books were treasures. Instead…

    Lou Faber

  • WATCHING

    We stand together on the precipiceknowing soon nothing will be as it wasfor her and I, a supportive observer only.In moments the world she knew willcollapse possibly, replaced by somethingno one has been able to describe to her.She is excited for this new world butthere is a fear she cannot shake for sheis venturing where…

    Lou Faber

  • CAN YOU SEE THIS

    I live in a country that Ino longer recognize althoughI was born here and never livedin any other place.I once lived in a land of doorsthrough which the likes of usentered to find refuge, find lifebut now we build wallsand hope they allow no entry.Once we were full palettes,an endless variety of shades,of human hues…

    Lou Faber

  • WANDERER

    He wandered into the labyrinthin search of what he could not remember,perhaps sudden enlightenment, perhapsa haloed monk, perhaps his history.He wondered if Buddha wassecretly a saint, if he could bea working man Buddha, if anythingreally mattered, if there was no exit,if there was a way out and at what cost.He hated the silence, knew that…

    Lou Faber

  • APP-LICATION DENIED

    I can still recall my grandmother saying,whenever she thought I should be outsiderather than sitting in my room with a book,that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Jewsdid not believe in the devil and that,in any event my hands were engagedin holding the book and turning pages.I…

    Lou Faber

  • OUT OF REACH

    The Middle East continues to melt downlike an out of control nuclear pileleaving destruction and crushed dreamsscattered about the vast sandscape.I imagine God watching from highup in the heavenly grandstandknowing that so many others are nothere to see the race, only to wait forwhat they hope is the inevitable crash.Once He liked looking on Jerusalemwatching…

    Lou Faber

  • HUMPTY DUMPTY IS HERE

    I wonder what you hear when Isay certain things, do you hearonly the words or do you hearthe hidden thought. For my sakeI do hope it is the former.When I say “It’s been a pleasure”do you hear “I’m so glad its over.”When I say “Let’s do it again soon”do you hear “after hell freezes over.”When…

    Lou Faber

  • THIS WEEK

    This week I will be Presbyterian.One week a month I becomea follower of a different faithand it was Presbyterian’s turn.I’m not certain what I will benext month, Lutheran perhaps, ormaybe I’ll go with Episcopalian.I haven’t been that in a while.Most of the time I’m a practicingZen Buddhist, sitting dailyon my cushion looking at the walland…

    Lou Faber