"Nice Try, Lifetime" - Andy Busch - "Sestina on 1 Corinthians 13", "What Fades, What Stays"

Greeting folks! Here are more poems from Andy Busch for the "Nice Try, Lifetime" theme. Enjoy!

The Midwest Writing Center will be holding the "Local lovers Open Mic at Rozz Tox on the 22nd of February at 8PM. Those who submit there work will have the chance too share their poems! Regardless on if you submit work or not, feel free to come and share your work at this open mic!

Keep sending us stuff!

Sestina on 1 Corinthians 13  (Andy Busch)

Of three that still remain, the first is faith,

The next is hope;

The crowning jewel is love:

The way it comes is by the gift of grace

Which, when it settles in, will make for peace

With God and neighbor; ending up in joy.

It sounds so nice, to hear about the joy

That starts with faith.

I wonder how some people think of peace.

Some people have no hope

That someone might, in this life, offer grace

Instead of hatred, much less love.

It’s obvious that love

Is not romantic mush, the same way joy

Is not all giggles; like the gift of grace

Is nothing cheap; it’s rock-ribbed faith

That makes for lasting hope.

There’s nothing weak or cowardly in peace.

The Christmas hymn is right:  “There is no peace

On earth,” and precious little love

That gives and doesn’t take.  My hope

Is faded, not to speak of joy.

I see no reason for a life of faith.

But if you’re right, and if the gift of grace

Is really not a cheap cliché, but grace

Is something stronger, tougher, maybe peace

Is something more than quiet guns, and faith

Is not a fantasy, and if this love

Is not a feeling; if you’re right, that joy

Is something deeper, maybe hope

Is not a “thing with feathers”; maybe hope

Is built on something not from me, and grace-

As-gift is not of human making.  Joy

Will come from letting go; a life of peace

From choosing love

Without expecting something back.  In faith

That by this hard-core gift of grace this peace

Will bubble up with joy, and choosing love

Will build our hope on solid bricks of faith.

What Fades, What Stays  (Andy Busch)

What fades is all the breathless shock,

the out-of-nowhere sucker punch

 of “who is this?”

The jumper cable jolt

 of thickened thought and stammered speech.

What stays is what you think,

 you think

it makes the day a day

 when she’s around.