Southwest to Katahdin

Ray Foss

POETRY WHERE YOU LIVE

• Poetry Where You Live is a state of mind, believing that, like God’s grace, poetry is where you live, not something you have to seek out in some distant place.

• Writing for the last 14 years– 175 poems at law school graduation – 5/2004– Came back to my faith – 2004– 26,000 poems since them– 2,800+ since we moved to Patten

Poetry is all around us

• The beauty of nature, the faith that sustains us, the smile of our daughters, and the love that we share, these are all subjects of my poetry.

• I have been truly humbled by this gift from God. I have tried to be faithful to the call to write, to share, to spread the good news truly to the ends of the earth.

• I hope these words bring joy, love, peace, and belief to a troubled world. People say that a picture speaks a thousand words. With poetry, I can paint a picture, capture a moment, a smell, a scene in a handful of words. I hope these words paint pictures for you.

Needing to focus

Seeing the beauty

Beach SandMaybe it is the memoriesthe change of pace that brings us therethe sense of vacationmaybe the smell of the placethe sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grassesbut oh it is the feel of it, the crunch and slide of itthe feeling of beach sandso different from dirt, soil, loamno, not earthy, moist, rich,

but oh so granular and grittyeven when wet,moveable paper spreading under toessliding beneath the solessmoothing my skinclearing my mindunburdening me of the restdrawing me to the tactile, the feelof beach sand

Sharing My Joy

Our rebirth Our rebirthfrom the watersthe baptism of firewalking differently, with himfilled by the Spirit of ChristOur rebirthtransformationfilled with the gift of the Spirita fire kindled within uswanting to burn out of controlwanting us to serve joyfullywhere God would send usgoing with a blessingout into the world

Living More PurposefullyNot to claim a victory

not our own validationliving more purposefullyto stay centered on God

Not drifting with the windnot following the flow of the crowd

walking with my savioron the road laid before meUsing my gifts, my talentshearing my master’s callpersevering in adversity

courage, committing my all

Seeing the Words – v9for me, not education, learningsomeone unspoken, unwrittengathered from the air, a giftwriting is so much aboutseeing the words, the constellations,points of light against the night sky,the mind’s eye of unconsciousnessdreams retained, written, pulled from the canvas, the canopyknitting the words into the tapestry,the fabric they were meant to begossamer wings and steely gravitas

blended or plucked from the ethergathered upon a permanent pagesuch is the process of inspirationfinding the words, writtenalready stitched togetherwritten in heaven, upon stoneswoven tight with strong bondsphrases and thoughts tied togethercoming as if from nothing, but rightalready formed, ready to be discoveredseen and scribed, printed upon the page

Trusting completely

yielding to youmy will nothingsubmitting as did Christclosing one dooras you open anotheryielding to youmy body, my spiritall that I amgiven to you September 22, 2013

Southwest to KatahdinWhere are you goingway up northnorth of Bangorjust below HoultonSouthwest to Katahdinthe top of the Trailup north in Maineup in the great wood

Our new home

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

Though the mills may be shuttered – v2Though the mills may be shutteredand the forests are quiet,though the fields do not providetheir bounty, their harvest,though the young are departingfor the cities, for greener pastures,yet I rejoice in my GodI will be joyful in Christ my Savior.The Creator of the universe is my rockI am like the deer, its hoovessteady on Katahdin.

The Ledges – v4Our eight silent canoesSixteen of us entrancedPushed off onto the still watersAfter 2am on a July night.Full moon and stars, so many,To guide us across the lakeAnd on down river.

Loon and bullfrogTheir calls, their criesThe only sound presentSave for the slice,The bite of the paddle,A drizzle of water off the blades,And hulls breaking the surface.

No one spoke,None of we sixteen.Lost in our own thoughtsNot wanting to breakThe magic, the spellThe night and the waterHeld on all of us.

something ancient, sacred – v2something ancient, sacredspeaking to my spiritconnected to this placesomething familiaras I walk among the treesI have been here beforeamong the ferns, the pinessomething ancient, sacredsomething familiartouching my heart and mind

Our Good Shepherd

Pronounced RighteousBy the Grace of Godby the Sacrifice of Christby the Spirit indwellingbringing us back to LifePronounced Righteousmade right with Godnot by our Worksbut by the Grace of God November 4, 2013

formed within the stone – v6within their flesh, their bodiestheir true self within themhidden but presentformed within the stonebefore their beginning who they will bethe truth of their beingalready present, waitingformed within the stonebefore their beginning

Jeremiah’s Corner

quick to deny the accolades – v5watching his presentationhis words of reality, of addictionhow the drug holds hima struggle every daylaughing at himselfthe absurdity, tragedyknowing the grip, the holdthey have on him today

taking courage to stand before themfriends and family readyhonestly sharing, openthe truth of his lifesharing his challengethe struggles still remaining

giving voice to his demonsthe struggle within him, present“I am an addict”, not “I was an addict. . . ;“words echoing in the full roombefore so many who love himwho know what he had done ready to lift him upto heap him with praiseas if he was finishedthe journey already won;but he was quick to deny the accoladesthe battle continuing still

his response stopping them in their tracksa change of the atmospherethe environment in the roomspeaking truth, his pain, his strugglenot recovered; in the fight, yet,the battle day by day

prayers needed ever, todayfor his incarceration, prison,the battle still before himin a dark place, remainingto love him as he isa beautiful chipped vesseloffering his life to God, truly;still struggling with the demons

Red Sox Win – v2Red Sox winYankees loseA story so bigIt led the news

Bumped politicsDown the pageIt may even reduceNew England road rage

A-Rod and JeterWhat can be sweeterOh look, what we found,We caught a cheater

Taking two from themIn their parkBig PapiWas our spark

Down and outA three-oh slideNot the end for thisTeam with Pride

Red Sox NationDeliriousThis whole World SeriesWill be just as serious.

Reverse the CurseAll these agesSo this club’s historyWill fill more pages