THE INNER LIFE by Phil Bratcher Long after words spoken in the shroud are forgot Things done in the clay crumble since they never mattered And now that cremation is catching fire, where are The headstones engraved with famous last words, or poetry To prove we were here and death a little less sad and cold? Is it just me or do others think marble is warmer than bronze? Even those little monuments will crumble and melt, but The essence of heart and soul is encrypted with who we are So when mystic's vessels race the span of all that is searching For wisdom, adventure or a double cheeseburger and a martini God and Buddha and George Burns already gathered in formation Allowing time to make sentinels of our past lives and memory So those travelers could choose to replay events of heart and soul Or our best sayings, just for the pleasure of hearing it again This could be precisely what happens which would explain it all And just maybe make sense of how good it is to shape Your inner life--the only thing that lasts
Often a featured speaker, Reverend Bratcher is a volunteer chaplain for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Upstate Coordinator for the South Carolina Global Warming Campaign for the Christian Action Council in Columbia, South Carolina, and is past Secretary to the Executive Board for Greenville Faith Communities United which seeks social justice and interfaith understanding.
Reverend Bratcher makes his home in Greenville, SC, where he is a member of the Metropolitan Community Church and is their interfaith representative to GFCU and past chair of their outreach and singles committees. E-mail Phil at Peacefulstar@msn.com. To read more of Phil's poetry, click here: A Sampling Bratcher - II Bratcher - III Bratcher - IV And here's one of his excellent recipes: Lace cookies Want to leave a comment about Phil’s poems and recipes? Please visit our Message Board or write Ye Editor at bethjacks@hotmail.com. Back to USADEEPSOUTH - I index Back to USADEEPSOUTH - II index |