Beside Mary

O Mary, what a privilege it is
to stand beside you in your hours of grief,
when you stand near those great events of His,
and give you some as you give Him relief.
Like some great crowds of onlookers include
each individual fan in sync, we are
involved as witnesses that don't intrude,
in awe and sympathy with our great star.
Your fear for Him and His great suffering
cause you to feel a sword cut seven times,
we share in hope some solace we might bring,
and make up for our share in those great crimes.
O Mother Mary, help us to embrace
your painful space, His stoic face, God’s grace.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       2/08

The Welcome Place

I come to God, why do I fear rejection?
Am I afraid God doesn't really care?
Am I afraid that I won't pass inspection,
or that this Father isn't really there?
There's just one place that welcomes everything,
my good, my bad, my messiness, my sin,
and by some magic changes all I bring
from painful dark defeat into a win.
To this sweet magic place I hold the key,
I can trade punishment for a reward;
by my repentance and humility,
I tap the love and mercy of the Lord.
With Your forgiveness all my debts are paid,
I know, O God, in faith: "Be not afraid."

                         -- by Pete Voelz       11/07

In Suffering

In health, O Lord, I have less need of You,
I'm busy with my own affairs, it seems;
I'm strong and free and independent too,
I concentrate on my own fun and schemes.
And then You send Your suffering to me,
I fight it, though I know it's most in vain;
without the cross, there is no victory,
without the pain, I'm told, there is no gain.
In suffering, I turn to You in prayer,
and you are with me in a closer way;
in suffering, Your suffering I share,
dependent more on You, the less I stray.
In pain I find forgiveness more--and grace,
Your cross, Your arms outstretched, and Your embrace.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       2/06

The Space Between

I see how far I am from God,
too far for me to see;
I sense the silent sounds of space,
too vast for sound to be,
and only faith can fill the gap
between Great God and me.

I feel the barreness of life
and so I wonder why;
I look inside my lonely self
and there's no one but I,
and only hope to rescue me
against the empty sky.

I know God gives a million gifts
to show that He is near;
He will provide me plenty there
as He provides me here,
for only love can bring me joy
and wipe away my fear.

I do believe the infinite God
is greater than the sea;
we two can pierce the world's facade
to join us spiritually,
for only grace can trace the space
between my God and me.

          -- by Pete Voelz      1/06

God's Images

A  thousand images of God I see,
though none are graven, all are our creation,
in quiet ways they come to visit me,
and stir my feverish imagination.
It's only in the dark that I can spy
the outline of His image coming near,
I have to concentrate as it slips by,
to figure out and make the meaning clear.
Each image shows a quality of His,
I get some little glimpses of His face,
I sense a little better Who He is,
and gain again a garland of His grace.
O God, You deign to show another view
to one anew Who's interested in You.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       1/07

The Watcher

I sleep, and God, Who does not sleep, sees me,
I’m still, but God, awake, still hears me breathe,
I helpless lie, as God guards tenderly,
I’m all alone with One Who’ll never leave.
Though dark, the saints I call light up my mind,
though quiet, they listen to my voice in prayer,
eyes closed, I am still anything but blind,
by faith, I see God’s angels join us there.
God never is alone in watching us,
He brings a multitude community,
we fools expect God is some blunderbuss,
but He’s a breeze of whispering Trinity.
Our watching God, Who shakes the universe,
is quiet, patient, bountiful and terse.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       3/09

True Love

Who loves God first loves with a truer love,
not one beset by self or lust or gain;
all love below must aim at love above,
for our love blest by God will never wane.
Love aimed at God is love that's loyal and true,
God blesses faithful love that follows Him;
by heeding God's commands, love follows through,
by deeds we draft a love that will not dim.
Since God is love, all true love comes from God,
love puts God first because love means to place
the other first for real, not some facade,
by serving others first we love with grace.
To truly love, O God, is my desire,
an honest lover, not some loving liar.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       11/07

Our Freedom

Our freedom means that God, so free, holds back,
He does not hold back from the animals,
it means that nature's God cuts us some slack,
He only intervenes with miracles.
For every bit of freedom we possess,
God holds back on the freedom He controls,
as much He gives to us, so He has less,
the freedom that He shares thus frees our souls.
This freedom is divine, a Godly power,
that we employ to chart our destiny,
used wrongly, it can make our soul go sour,
but used for good, it thrives eternally.
O God, I share my freedom here with You,
so I can share in all Your freedom true.

           -- by Pete Voelz       2/09

Our Power

God gives us such great power our heads should swim,
to be good persons, and to love, to pray,
to use our power of faith, to worship Him,
to love Him first with power in every way.
"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams."
The infinite power of prayer to us is given,
obeying God is nobler than our schemes,
and we are free to power our way to heaven.
To use our freedom to do good is best,
and all the world is at a lover's feet,
in loving others, guess Who is our guest?
So why be sour when we can be sweet?
We're given the power to bless the way we live,
and who has not the power to forgive?

                           -- by Pete Voelz       11/05

Faith and Fun

O God, how much faith must I have with me?
Do I believe I have to choose between
my worldly fun and joy eternally,
fun here and now and fun I’ve never seen?
Must I give up, because of faith in You,
this sinful fun--must it be sacrificed?
Can I not have my cake and eat it too?
Must I give up so much because of Christ?
I like immediate gratification,
so sometimes want to think below the belt,
or maybe to be led into temptation,
and for a while forget the faith I’ve felt.
O Lord, as I am having fun today,
can’t You just kinda look the other way?

                      -- by Pete Voelz        8/22/11

Most in Need

O God, You know Who's most in need of prayer,
then that's the one for whom I wish to pray;
though I don't have so many prayers to spare,
I'll give You some that You can give away.
For those I love, I know I pray a lot,
big deal, You said, that's what the pagans do;
who needs love most are those who have it not,
along with loved ones, we should love them too.
You see from Your great vantage point above
who's most in need when I take time to pray;
besides our friends, our foes we're supposed to love,
we must see You beneath what they display.
O Jesus, since I trust that You know best,
I'll send a prayer and You do all the rest.

                           -- by Pete Voelz           12/07

Gift for Gift

Each gift God gives me is a favor from
a God Who loves me gently without end,
to save my soul and make His Kingdom come,
to show how He's a brother and a friend.
Each gift of suffering, each gift of pain,
another favor and so friendly given,
for if I suffer not, there is no gain,
which thief can never steal away in heaven.
Gifts given here are worth a hundredfold,
whether by me to Him or Him to me,
for given back to God and not here sold,
they give both God and me our victory.
I've heard the prize goes to the smart and swift,
I'll settle for regifting God's good gift.

-- by Pete Voelz       11/10

More to Say

O God, what do You want me to say more?
Have I not said and thought of everything?
What other mystery can I explore,
no new ideas to set before my King?
Yet if I listen, I may hear some still,
I know there must be more You could inspire,
there must be things You will I can fulfill,
I probably could aim a little higher.
So how does one explore the infinite?
I know I've barely touched on what is there,
I've tasted only such a little bit,
I can start out when I begin to care.
O God, why wait when You throw me the ball?
I must move now if I'm to go at all.

                    -- by Pete Voelz            1/07

Compared to God

How low I am compared to God most high,
yet He made me and has a plan for me;
how slow I am, how swifter He than I,
yet faster my prayers fly than I can see.
How sinful I am, but how good God is,
for He forgives me all that I repent;
how beastly I seem next to beauty His,
I'm weak while His vast strength is never spent.
God's everywhere, sometimes I'm barely here,
yet in His heaven great things He'll let me rule;
God's not afraid, while I am full of fear,
He is so wise and I am such a fool.
Yet that I love You, Lord, can't be denied,
You give me heaven, and once for me You died.

                             -- by Pete Voelz          2/11

The Magic Good of God

There is a magic in the world of men.
It is the magic good of God--
the miracle of atom hydrogen,
the mystery of the goldenrod.

That life would happen from a great big bang,
about one in a trillion chances,
that I am me, not some orangoutang,
by unknown marvelous circumstances.

Whence comes the magic good of God to us,
His love like mother-fatherhood?
God knows our goodness is no stimulus.
From this alone--that God is good.

The endless gods that we imagine here
all tumble from our brains of wood,
full of our traits of greed and lust and fear,
while God is only good.

Imagine for a time if God were bad,
or good and bad--like Hollywood;
how much more miserable our lives and sad,
if God were not so good.

I thank my lucky stars in the dark night,
as all on our dear planet should,
that contrary to every terrible fright,
our God is good.

              -- by Pete Voelz           2000

Love Is Strong

Love is so strong, it’s more than a command,
the martyr dies for love, not to obey;
no slave chain forms a husband’s wedding band,
‘tis love, not force, that makes him stay and stay.
But God commands we love Him first and most,
yet love cannot exist unless it’s free;
freedom’s that Godlike gift just humans boast,
to let us love Him back, He lets it be.
Just so, God’s law is trumped by freedom’s might,
and freedom’s greatest power is to forge love;
to be free to love God is our best right,
that brings us to eternal life above.
O Lord, help me become Your servant true,
and freely choose to love and follow You.

                        -- by Pete Voelz      8/16/11

Love Overflows

Love overflows, as every lover knows,
how happy are we when we first can say,
"I love you" in the many ways it goes,
and see it flow to all within our sway.
Love multiplies, it does not stop with one,
it overflows to everyone around;
love starts to run, it does not slow or shun,
and when disharmony's found, love holds its ground.
True love's from God, and we know God will win,
since God is love, His love He tries to guide;
love conquers all, and mostly conquers sin,
watch true love flow and grow, for love won't hide.
O God, the love for one You let in me
will overflow for all eternity.

                               -- by Pete Voelz      1/11

The Intruder

O God, 'tis true on me You do intrude,
Your Spirit dispersed to me immersed in work
or when I brood in moody solitude,
with rude riposte You drive almost berserk
this soul in me so passionately pursued
until Your sigh no longer I can shirk.

As I dispatch my quiet natural day,
out of the blue You rendezvous with me;
O silent, O celestial stowaway,
You lurk apart until my heart is free,
which I in rout unlock without delay
so You can bless my day and destiny.

The softer world has oft imperiled my thought,
inspite of grace, temptation's face unfolds,
then in midflight by dazzling light I'm caught
with what Your passionate yet so rational way holds,
thus driving that sly viper's lie to naught,
as o're my mind Your blinding kindness rolls.

Beatitude, solicitude are You,
Whose kiss assists me in vicissitude
that threatens to pursue some new taboo
and win to sin again my interlude;
on body, soul, mind, heart--my whole askew--
merci beaucoup You truly do intrude.

                        -- by Pete Voelz        2003

It's Not a Breeze

When does a breeze grow up into the wind--
to be the wind, a thing all on its own,
all fully grown and blowing all alone?
While little breezes so undisciplined
need to be sometimes captured and then pinned
or flown by a chaperone.

The wind can damage do because it’s strong,
the little breezes just prefer to play.
They usually do not want to stay so long,
but waft a fragrance or sail you a song,
or freshen up the heat of the day--
and then just scamper away.

The wind wants to work up a cyclone or two,
the breezes will try to do as they please.
With tornados and hurricanes and mischief to do,
the wind wants to sound like a god coming through,
but the real voice of God, as Elijah well knew,
we just hear in a whispering breeze.

When does a breeze turn into the wind?
When it starts doing more harm than good?
When it's careless about how it has sinned?
Must it damage things more than it should?
When it drowns other sounds to be heard,
So it no longer carries God's word?

                         -- by Pete Voelz           2002

(Dedicated to some young friends struggling
to change from a breeze to the wind)

Prayer Time

I give a quantity of time to prayer,
I wish I had more quality to show;
the time does tell that I believe You're there,
I hope my faith brings love enough in tow.
What do I merit, Lord, because I pray?
No one earns heaven, too good for us to see,
but since I give a piece of me each day,
can't I expect a piece of You for me?
My prayer disposes me to love You more,
to see You in the people that I meet,
by word and deed I better treat the poor,
and those are helped for whom my prayers entreat.
O God, I see the arc my prayers can trace
to all of those that they embrace with grace.

                          -- by Pete Voelz          4/07

The Panda Bear of Kandahar

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I wear a band a' hair, a kind a' scar
of white on black as night on back and front,
my bamboo fare is quite a candy bar,
I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I roam the open air and land afar
to hunt the handy hare and dare confront
the lair of lamb and ram to stand and spar,
I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I mount the stair of mountain near and far
to count the hunter's fount of elephant
that stir the mountaineer and movie star,
I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I wander land Iran to Zanzibar,
though I meander as commander grunt,
I care for everywhere from sand to star,
I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I scare the Afrikander and Babar,
a teddy bear bizarre, a banty runt,
I bear the brand of Disneyland bazaar,
beware my foes from czar to Escobar,
I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

I am the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
a fan of jam, pajamas, racing car,
a brand new superstar with scimitar
from Azkaban to Pan to cookie jar,
we play the hunting bear and sparring stunt,
and snuggle on my hand or handlebar,
for I'm . . . the Panda Bear of Kandahar.

No, I'm the Panda Bear of Kandahar,
I stroke his hair and scan my repertoire,
I bear the brunt of wear so I'll be blunt,
we snare a tale of bear, the door ajar,
a prayer to ban the boogeyman afar
to spare him yarns of scary kinds there are,
then share a three-bear hug, our standard par,
a band a' panda bear from Kandahar.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       1998

(Dedicated to my children and grandchildren.
My second favorite poem I’ve written.)

Game of Love

Love is a game, but one without a score,
for if you try to score, you lose big time;
though some may say all's fair in love and war,
only the fairest love will reach sublime.
In love to make a hit you have to swing,
but not too much or you'll be counted out;
claiming a touchdown's not the only thing,
too much at play can only bring a rout.
Go down the field before you make a pass,
give each a sporting chance far from the goal;
when in the huddle, leave some time for class,
too many putts to par may cost your soul.
Control the ball, the one you want to catch,
strive on the court to win: love game, set, match.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      2/11

The Fruit of Faith

I pluck the plum but do not plan to plumb it,
I will not wait to trace its history,
to understand its depth or soul or summit,
before I chew its juicy mystery.
I pick the peony before I probe it,
I do not wait to analyze its smell,
to note its origin or write its obit,
it is enough to fall beneath its spell.
I pet my poodle with no plot to pry
into its molecules or DNA,
I’ll never wait at all to verify
its essence, for I love it anyway.
But, God, until You've proved that You are true,
I'll wait before I place my faith in You.

                      -- by Pete Voelz          2001

Francis on Earth

St. Francis chose to die upon the earth,
to have his body lie on the bare ground,
in part he felt himself of little worth,
he wanted God's creation all around.
For God loved His creation, Francis knew,
so he considered all creation good,
He knew that God had called it all good too,
the bees, the bulls, the trees, the wolves, and wood.
St. Francis was a special friend of birds,
he saw them as a source of joy and fun,
he put his nature feelings into words,
his famous Canticle-poem to the sun.
St. Francis, may I see your way as true,
by following God, His natural law and you.

                                -- by Pete Voelz      6/06

Peasants Presence

I cannot say I'd like to play a peasant,
for I would be, it seems to me, so bored,
but I'd partake in what might make it pleasant,
that peasants love the presence of the Lord.
You'll hear a grumble from some humble peasants,
there's scarcely none who sing with one accord,
though they don't lack of faithful acquiescence,
those peasants who bring presents to the Lord.
You will not see theology incessant
among the peasants present in a horde,
but do not misinterpret this quiescence,
for peasants love the essence of the Lord.
Such faith will later rate a great reward,
the peasant who is present to the Lord.

                         -- by Pete Voelz         4/06

Water Faith

Christ walks on water, all I do is swim,
out of the darkness He comes near my boat,
He beckons me, I rise to come to Him,
my faith, His hand and grace keep me afloat.
Amidst the wind and storm, He is asleep;
afraid, I wake Him up to calm my fear;
"O ye of little faith, why don't you leap?"
He says, "Be not afraid for I am here."
"This, My beloved Son, well pleases me,"
the Father tells us as the waters flow;
I am transfigured by this mystery
each day from my baptism long ago.
I want to walk on water, calm the wind,
get washed by Christ as if I'd never sinned.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       6/06

Spending Love

Love, grace and God--the more you have you get,
the more you spend, the more you have to spend,
the more you love, the more love’s in your debt,
that’s why God’s love is given without end.
God’s graceful love’s the center of His power,
His loving power comes to us all as grace,
His grace allows each one of us to flower,
to make our love a mirror of His face.
The more we love with grace, we are like God,
already with His image on our soul,
and as His children, we will not be odd,
for all His love and grace will make us whole.
O God, let me Your love and grace ourpour,
so I can share them more forevermore.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz      1/11

Beauty Deep

I know it’s true, true beauty found within,
but where within is it most beautiful?
And if the ugly beast in me is sin,
what can change me except some miracle?
That miracle is love, but not love cheap,
no change in shallow feelings does the trick,
true beauty and sin’s ugly beast lie deep,
and only God’s true love can make it stick.
Real miracles are only done by Him,
His mercy kills the beast of sin in me,
I see by eyes of faith not my eyes dim,
and I must choose that miracle to see.
O God, I do desire that beauty true,
I know it is the love that’s deep in You.

                         -- by Pete Voelz      1/11

    (Dedicated to Dan Lynch and all his faithful
players in our spring play “Beauty and the Beast.”)

Image of Love

What is the image and the likeness of
our God, in Whom the Bible says we're made?
Let me submit they replicate His love,
a force in us that's meant to never fade.
Some see our freedom as God's image here,
or maybe truth or justice that is true,
perhaps, some say, the virtues we revere.
or beauty we behold or good we do.
How is God's image drawn and in what parts,
are these great talents etched upon our soul,
or in our conscience or on our poor hearts,
or somehow grace our human being whole?
All these combine with power from above
into, I say, the best of us--our love.

                       -- by Pete Voelz          8/05

Love and Prayer

I share my prayer, O God, to show I care,
How can I say I love but do not pray?
God proves His love by answering my prayer,
and when I pray, I prove the love I say.
For those I say I love, I want the best,
for love makes me want their best more than mine,
love means I want what's in their best interest,
for how I love the best, prayer is the sign.
Love’s not just words I might be saying more,
love's not just what I'm dreaming of,
I show true love by who I'm praying for,
instead of dreams, it's prayer proves my true love.
O God, I pray I love whoever's there,
and prove my true love true by truest prayer.

                                    -- by Pete Voelz       11/06