You cry like the devil at pain.
You cry like the devil at fear.
You cry like the devil at hope.
You cry like the devil.
From “Jackson Baugh from Wye County” by Brian Howlett
Contributors: Brian Howlett, Fatima Jamal, Terry Minchow-Proffitt, Susan Niz, W. T. Paterson, Claire Polders, Angelica Poversky
We would love to hear from you! Tell us about your favorite piece in this latest issue.
Terry Minchow-Proffit’ poem
Paints a picture of a ‘normal’ church worship service with the bland, muldane things that go on then the almost photographic shot of the abused wife, then the inside of the mind and heart of the abusing husband. We are sure he is beyond help, he is almost sure of it. The surprising step comes rather out of the blue as he once more puts his feet to the walk that may in his desire change him once again.
Aren’t we all the deacon? Full of God’s grace and glory. Unable to walk in the fullness of that amazing way. Apt to harm those we love the most. Don’t we know all too much of the internal struggle he shows us in this poem?
Now Terry do the next one-get us inside his wife’s mind and emotions, please.
Nancy, thank you. I’m not sure my gifts are up to your challenge, but I’d like to try to write a poem from Rosie’s angle!
Re: Terry Minchow-Proffitt’s “Proceedings of the 15th Annual Rock Solid Association”
What a name for a poem! Who hasn’t felt that they “ain’t been right in a month of Sundays”? I feel such clarity in your poetry.
Thank you, Hannah. The title got away from me! I’m afraid clarity is not always so clear to this writer, so I’m especially glad this one came across to you.
If baptistic Christians stand for anything it’s the possibility of genuine, bone-deep spiritual transformation. Well said, Terry. Easy to see this picture.
Keith, you’re a pastor I’ve long admired for your authenticity. So it’s high praise when you to sense the genuineness of Deacon Holt’s stab at transformation. Thank you!
Terry, I am pretty sure the poem was about Methodists too. More than a few times I have found myself sitting there right next to Deacon Holt, sometimes being Deacon Holt.
Absolutely, Chris. This one, I hope, starts and ends “close in.”