![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/271405523_10158173920747038_2431862878065254549_n.jpg\")
<\/a>Finding much inspiration in Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel “Crossroads,” a pastor protagonist inciting me to investigate theology. I was raised in a secular household by lapsed Catholic parents but would often attend church in order to sing in the choir. I’ve realized that being well-versed in Bible verses informs my poetry.<\/p>\nIn the voice of Marion on page 437, discussing the afterlife with Russ. \u201cI think the only thing that matters is the state of your soul while you\u2019re alive.\u201d \u201cIs that-Catholic teachings?\u201d \u201cDefinitely not. Father Fergus and I discuss it all the time. To me, there\u2019s nothing realer in the world than God, and Satan is no less real. Sin is real and God\u2019s forgiveness is real. That\u2019s the message of the Gospel. But there\u2019s not much in the Gospel about the afterlife-John is the only one who talks about it. And doesn\u2019t that seem strange? If the afterlife is so important? When the rich young man asks Jesus how he might have eternal life, Jesus doesn\u2019t give him a straight answer. He seems to say that heaven is loving God and obeying the commandments, and hell is being lost in sin-forsaking God. Father Fergus says I have to believe that Jesus is talking about a literal heaven and hell, because that\u2019s what the Church teaches. But I\u2019ve read those verses a hundred times. The rich young man asks about eternity, and Jesus tells him to give away his money. He says what to do in the present-as if the present is where you find eternity-and I think that\u2019s right. Eternity is a mystery to us, just like God is a mystery. It doesn\u2019t\u2019 mean rejoicing in heaven or burning in hell. It could be a timeless state of grace or bottomless despair. I think there\u2019s eternity in every second we\u2019re alive.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Buddhist, isnt\u2019 it? “Practice the miracle of being here, one moment at a time.\u201d-Thich Nhat Hanh. Something I\u2019ve been pondering since his passing, how to be mindful and in the moment. I touched on it in this poem I started yesterday, thinking about how precious time-and moments-are.<\/p>\n IT TAKES TWO<\/strong><\/p>\n We engage in a dance With enough lovers to fill a ballroom My time alone runs concurrent I\u2019m ready at last with which he inhabits his, over sinewy chest, …after months of being away. Finding much inspiration in Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel “Crossroads,” a pastor protagonist inciting me to investigate theology. I was raised in a secular household by lapsed Catholic parents but would often attend church in order to sing in the choir. I’ve realized that being well-versed in Bible verses informs my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,12],"tags":[149,236],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8316"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8347,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316\/revisions\/8347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\ncalled Together Then Apart.
\nIntervals between vary according
\nto the latest news or mutations.<\/p>\n
\nwe\u2019ve moved past the Tango,
\npast clinging, demands, urgency,
\nand sexual intrigue be damned.<\/p>\n
\nwith the time I have left,
\nprizes both,
\nhowever long they may last.<\/p>\n
\nto honour my body,
\nits ability to function,
\nto serve, to move.
\nI marvel at the ease<\/p>\n
\nwatch it long and lithe
\nbreak free of the stove
\nto pretend with the Pretenders,
\nneon fuchsia boa flowing<\/p>\n
\npink feather clamped
\nbetween teeth ala Flamenco,
\nmuscle-grooved arms,
\na flurry of fists, raven hair,
\nflying solo in the moment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"