"Adoration"

“Adoration”

I used

to go

to overnight

Adoration

God’s Loving Presence

has no end

God’s Loving Presence

exposed to

faithful adorers

God’s Loving Presence

caring for all

of our intentions

God is always Faithful

And so His followers try to be as well

-- Mark Hanley, April 24, 2018

"Forgiven"

“Forgiven”

I am forgiven

I am free

I am a child of God

God loves me

And, I love Him

He knows

My heart

Better

Than anyone

Dismas

-- Mark Hanley, April 24, 2018

"Even the Universe Has Insecurities"

“Even the Universe Has Insecurities”

He spat

Surreptitiously

behind the podium

of nothingness

He looked out on

his somber

audience

And contemplated

quantum theory

He took one more

drag of his nicotine

concoction

A drag

Transformed his ideations

Into a flock of

starlings

He flew

To the outer edges

of the Cosmos

He realized

that even the Universe

has insecurities

And he slept

No dreams

Just rest.

-- Mark Hanley, Jan. 23, 2013

"Sustain, Remain, Suffice"

“Sustain, Remain, Suffice”

Edifices of fire-red brick

Structures with spires jutting heavenbound

Altars of marble

Devotees to the left

Fanatics to the right

Arguing about the merits and faults of the ambidextrious

Words spoken garbled

Utterings uttered softly lest you offend

Syllables, Sounds, Phonics in an odd Symphony

And yet, God remains

And yet, God sustains

And yet, God suffices

The droves of humankind

Packed in pews

The squirming in the seat

From serpentine sermons

The complexities and complexes

On the way to the Eucharist

The Word

The Body

The Blood

Sustain

Remain

Suffice

Amen.

-- Mark Hanley, April 24, 2018

"St. Pat's"

“St. Pat’s”

A beautiful

Irish church

In the heart

of Cedar Rapids

God’s Love

Expressed

in Mass

in Adoration

in Missions

Not even

a flood

could take

away God’s Loving Presence

A rebuilt parish

A rebuilt community

A rebuilt Love for God.

-- Mark Hanley, April 19, 2018

"She bought a Honda"

“She bought a Honda”

jeep.

four wheels

new tires

4wd doesn’t     work

over 300,000 miles

mostly highway

bought it from my dad

who bought it from

my aunt Cindy

She bought a Honda.

-- Mark Hanley, March 31, 2018

"Sick and tired"

“Sick and tired”

I’m sick

and tired

of being sick

and tired

I know

you would

understand

Grandma

You suffered

too

I heard you

hack

I saw you

cry

Dismas

-- Mark Hanley, March 30, 2018

"Magdalene"

“Magdalene”

I was a great

sinner

and I wept

at Your feet

I was a great

sinner

and I washed

Your feet

with my hair

I was a great

sinner

and I saw

You die

on a tree

I was a great

sinner

and I saw

the Empty Tomb

Magdalene.

-- Mark Hanley, April 24, 2019

"Inscribed"

“ I desire to do your will, my God;

   your law is within my heart.”

Psalm 40:8 NIV

One step

Two

Your Will

Is all around

Me

And you

Cooperation

Is all it takes

For the Resurrection

Inscribed

In our hearts

To come ablaze

For the

Body of Christ.

Amen.

-- Mark Hanley, Oct. 21, 2017

"I feel Your Love"

“I feel Your Love”

I wear

a scapular

on my heart

I have a

cross around

my neck

I live

Your Passion

in my mind

I experience

Your Resurrection

in my soul

I feel

Your Love

all around

Lord, God,

You are My God

And, You alone.

-- Mark Hanley, April 16, 2018

"The Uncommon Common Man"

“The Uncommon Common Man”

He was a

manual

automaton

He was an

automatic

manual

transmission

hooked to a

semi-automatic

power take off

He worked in

a fully-automated factory

of tractor manuals

written carelessly

by hand

He was a man

of limited words

of boundless

potential

He read by

writing

He wrote by

reading

He spoke

by listening

He listened

by speaking

He lived

by dying.

He thrived in a synonymous

antonym

of a universe

created by a big ol’ bang

from an even bigger banger

of an intelligent designer

He drove to work

by walking

And walked home

by driving

The list goes on

and off

He was and wasn’t

He is and isn’t

He will be and won’t

be

The uncommon common

Man.

-- Mark Hanley, Jan. 30, 2013

"Even the Universe Has Insecurities"

“Even the Universe Has Insecurities”

He spat

Surreptiously

behind the podium

of nothingness

He looked out on

his somber

audience

And contemplated

quantum theory

He took one more

drag of his nicotine

concoction

A drag

Transformed his ideations

Into a flock of

starlings

He flew

To the outer edges

of the Cosmos

He realized

that even the Universe

has insecurities

And he slept

No dreams

Just rest.

-- Mark Hanley, Jan. 23, 2013