{"id":3140,"date":"2022-03-03T15:49:06","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T15:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/?p=3140"},"modified":"2025-02-10T22:19:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T22:19:42","slug":"tones-like-prayers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/poetry\/tones-like-prayers\/","title":{"rendered":"Tones like prayers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A theopoet sows seeds of truth, beauty, and goodness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embed Player\" src=\"\/\/play.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/22325000\/height\/192\/theme\/modern\/size\/large\/thumbnail\/yes\/custom-color\/87A93A\/time-start\/00:00:00\/hide-show\/yes\/playlist-height\/200\/direction\/backward\" height=\"192\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"true\" mozallowfullscreen=\"true\" oallowfullscreen=\"true\" msallowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border: none;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the March 2022 issue of <em>Messenger<\/em>, Brian Nixon wrote about theopoetics in early Brethren circles. Theopoetics, he explained, means \u201cGod poetry\u201d \u2013 the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness via metaphor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read the March issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/subscribe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online or in print<\/a>, to learn more about how Brethren in the 1700s wove a tapestry of truth, beauty, and goodness through poems and hymns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;Brian included one of his own poems in the print article, paired with one written by Alexander \u201cSander\u201d Mack, Jr. In this episode of Messenger Radio, Brian reads that poem, as well as eight additional short pieces, one of which was written specifically for the podcast. Brian also composed the music that surrounds the poems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The poems from the podcast and credits for the poetry and music appear below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"House finch at feeder\" class=\"wp-image-3134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay-768x345.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay-848x381.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/house-finch-pixabay-560x251.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wrote it for you,<br>though you may<br>not appreciate it<br>as much as I. But<br>that\u2019s what love<br>does, it gives;<br>even when it is not<br>repaid in words or<br>understanding. It<br>gives, and doesn\u2019t<br>expect something<br>in return but<br>maybe a gesture of<br>thanks, like a house<br>finch at a feeder,<br>eating that which it<br>will become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay-768x345.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay-848x381.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/starry-sky-pixabay-560x251.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In the Milky Way<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day they cut you open to<br>remove the tumor, I sat in the<br>hospital waiting room<br>dreaming of space. The universe<br>is so big, galaxies fill the expanse<br>with colossal beauty. Has<br>Andromeda found its center?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or Canis Major revealed its<br>density? I know not. But here in<br>this space the vastness of you has<br>been slashed, revealing millions of<br>intricate constellations, cellular<br>fiber of blood and bone. Can I<br>tell the difference between the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">two\u2014you and the cosmos?<br>Only in degree. I know merely<br>this: you are <em>capable of the<br>universe<\/em>; and it is better to flicker<br>than fade, emitting untold light<br>that I can\u2019t fully comprehend,<br>my view limited by the stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"138\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay-300x48.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay-768x124.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay-848x136.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-close-up-pixabay-560x90.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Species in Peril<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a child I learned to write the alphabet,<br>acquiring skills to form words and<br>sentences, to elucidate thoughts and ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wonder if a juvenile Willow Flycatcher<br>has a word for <em>help<\/em>, or a young Yellow-<br>Billed Cuckoo knows the definition for<br><em>loss<\/em>? For some reason I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I know. So, I incise. Writing<br>the alphabet again and again, letting the<br>beauty of letters linger on the page.<br>In doing so, I follow the earth as she<br>inscribes script in her own specific character,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">endangered words on paper of fiber and bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"343\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern-768x307.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern-848x339.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/non-seamless-accordion-pattern-560x224.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accordion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I play the notes of<br>\n          &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people I study\u2014<br>\n                    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bellows of air\u2014<br>\n                              &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Living and dead:<br>\n                                        &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Type-written letters<br>\n                                                   &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of tones sent like<br>\n                                                               &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prayers, performance<br>\n                                                                           &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As symbol, music<br>\n                                                                                       &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Floating in air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"316\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay-300x110.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay-768x283.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay-848x312.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/clouds-pixabay-560x206.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For Riley and the Angels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Mors autem in porta<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I held you, my infant child<br>Of death, did the angels weep as<br>Your mother and I? In their<br>Plurality was there unity of<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sorrow? In their essence did<br>They foretell your short material<br>Existence, an accident in<br>Metaphysical language like<br>Blue to the sea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this is charity, O child:<br>To hold you but for a moment,<br>Letting your last breath be the<br>Song my lungs breathe in to sing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay-768x386.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay-848x426.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/barber-pixabay-560x281.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Culture to Itself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul will drift away as he<br>stands with hair remnants<br>around. It\u2019s amazing to see:<br>scissors, comb, and razor.<br>His eyes shut and he leans<br>forward just enough for the<br>head of a voice to act as a<br>pillar for REM. His quiet life<br>and tie somehow intertwine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay can cut two to Paul\u2019s one.<br>He will converse in a language<br>all his own. He speaks of private<br>investigators and the dead with<br>new hair. I\u2019ve seen him almost<br>butcher a man; more blood on<br>the razor than a surgery table.<br>Escalon, where dairy was his<br>childhood, sleeps well with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together they are a business of<br>being, a history all their own.<br>Many will come and provide<br>appendages to their pages of story.<br>For $3.50 a bargain of life<br>is dished in an historical array.<br>Pictures hang as sand on the<br>wall. No names, just faces with<br>hours of words. Together we sit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wonder if Mr. McHenry ever<br>pondered the life that would<br>happen on a street named after him;<br>in a barbershop where teacher<br>and hobo, minister and taxi-driver<br>converge to smell the same talc<br>powder and touch the moment<br>where something but silence<br>exists for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Penwood Review, Volume 3, 22.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay-848x566.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/flowers-pixabay-560x374.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Blink<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>See how the lilies of the field grow. Matthew 6:28b<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I suppose I could<br>spend my whole<br>day looking at you<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[though the river is<br>drying, and wars rumor,<br>with disease knocking<br>and pestilence abounding]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">my little flower: orange-<br>red with yellow pistils<br>perched among purple lavender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[I breathe and think of<br>lifting my eyes<br>to see this Earth<br>passing]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for a moment<br>there is nothing as<br>fair as God\u2019s fingerprint<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">pressed upon this<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">field of silence<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">asking me not to blink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To Be Is to Belong<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a child I longed to climb<br>Trees; to get above things,<br>To see far and overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I yearned to perceive how the<br>Geography fits together: the<br>River and fields, the houses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And streets. I sought to grasp<br>The furthest point. And here<br>I learned nothing finite will<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Satisfy. So, I continue to<br>Look beyond the horizon,<br>Asking questions and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listening to the sparrows sing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay-300x77.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay-768x196.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay-848x216.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/tree-girl-pixabay-560x143.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kicking a Stone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She and I kick, one<br>swoop at a time, a stone<br>towards Peaceful Pines<br>Creek. I hold her, pink,<br>as we watch the stone<br>retreat from my boot. A<br>giggle and awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sun trickles through<br>the pines, a presence with<br>beams of cordiality, knowing the<br>waters well. These mountains<br>hold memories of becoming,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">they hum gently a song of<br>tribute. Our persistence<br>is triumphant as we give<br>the last kick; a goodbye. The<br>stone falls into the center of the<br>creek. We watch the water<br>ripple over its form, and silence is us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Gloria Exaltus&#8221; is performed by the New Life Symphony Orchestra and sung by pop singer, Chrissy Jeter, from the Christian band The Echoing Green. It was featured in <em>Worship Leader Magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Study to Show Yourself Approved&#8221; features mandolin, guitar, cello, and violin, and stand-up bass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Bolero de Burque&#8221; is performed by Stefan Merkel, a German pianist and arranger. It was a finalist for best Jazz composition in 2020. It was written to accompany Brian Nixon&#8217;s book, <em>Tilt<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All music (c) Brian Charles Nixon. Used with permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;For Riley and the Angels&#8221;, &#8220;A Culture to Itself&#8221;, &#8220;Blink&#8221;, &#8220;To Be Is To Belong&#8221;, and &#8220;Kicking a Stone&#8221; are taken from <em>Tilt: Finding Christ in Culture<\/em>, Cascade Books, 2020.&nbsp; Used with Permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Seeds&#8221;, &#8220;In the Milky Way&#8221;, and &#8220;Species in Peril&#8221; were originally published by <em>The Penwood Review<\/em>.&nbsp; Used with permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Accordion&#8221; is a Messenger Radio original.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;you are capable of the  universe; and it is better to flicker than fade&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Poems and music by theopoet Brian Nixon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[420],"tags":[406,405,408,404,407,255,259,409],"class_list":["post-3140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","tag-brian-charles-nixon","tag-brian-nixon","tag-gloria","tag-hymn","tag-music","tag-poem","tag-poetry","tag-theopoetics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3140"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4923,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3140\/revisions\/4923"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}