Presentation given at Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, 11/7/2013, to the United Methodist Men (UMM) group about my Poetry Where You Live site and ministry (www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com

1. Southwest to Katahdin
Ray Foss

2. 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

3. Poetry is all around us

4. • 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.

6. Needing to focus

7. Seeing the beauty

8. Beach Sand
Maybe it is the memories
the change of pace that brings us there
the sense of vacation
maybe the smell of the place
the sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grasses
but oh it is the feel of it,
the crunch and slide of it
the feeling of beach sand
so different from dirt, soil, loam
no, not earthy, moist, rich,

9. but oh so granular and gritty
even when wet,
moveable paper spreading under toes
sliding beneath the soles
smoothing my skin
clearing my mind
unburdening me of the rest
drawing me to the tactile, the feel
of beach sand

10. Sharing My Joy

11. Our rebirth
Our rebirth
from the waters
the baptism of fire
walking differently, with him
filled by the Spirit of Christ
Our rebirth
transformation
filled with the gift of the Spirit
a fire kindled within us
wanting to burn out of control
wanting us to serve joyfully
where God would send us
going with a blessing
out into the world

12. Living More Purposefully
Not to claim a victory
not our own validation
living more purposefully
to stay centered on God
Not drifting with the wind
not following the flow of the crowd
walking with my savior
on the road laid before me
Using my gifts, my talents
hearing my master’s call
persevering in adversity
courage, committing my all

13. Seeing the Words – v9
for me, not education, learning
someone unspoken, unwritten
gathered from the air, a gift
writing is so much about
seeing the words, the constellations,
points of light against the night sky,
the mind’s eye of unconsciousness
dreams retained, written,
pulled from the canvas, the canopy
knitting the words into the tapestry,
the fabric they were meant to be
gossamer wings and steely gravitas

14. blended or plucked from the ether
gathered upon a permanent page
such is the process of inspiration
finding the words, written
already stitched together
written in heaven, upon stones
woven tight with strong bonds
phrases and thoughts tied together
coming as if from nothing, but right
already formed, ready to be discovered
seen and scribed, printed upon the page

15. Trusting completely

16. yielding to you
my will nothing
submitting as did Christ
closing one door
as you open another
yielding to you
my body, my spirit
all that I am
given to you
September 22, 2013

17. Southwest to Katahdin
Where are you going
way up north
north of Bangor
just below Houlton
Southwest to Katahdin
the top of the Trail
up north in Maine
up in the great wood

18. Our new home

19. 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.”

20. Though the mills may be shuttered – v2
Though the mills may be shuttered
and the forests are quiet,
though the fields do not provide
their bounty, their harvest,
though the young are departing
for the cities, for greener pastures,
yet I rejoice in my God
I will be joyful in Christ my Savior.
The Creator of the universe is my rock
I am like the deer, its hooves
steady on Katahdin.

22. The Ledges – v4
Our eight silent canoes
Sixteen of us entranced
Pushed off onto the still waters
After 2am on a July night.
Full moon and stars, so many,
To guide us across the lake
And on down river.

23. Loon and bullfrog
Their calls, their cries
The only sound present
Save for the slice,
The bite of the paddle,
A drizzle of water off the blades,
And hulls breaking the surface.

24. No one spoke,
None of we sixteen.
Lost in our own thoughts
Not wanting to break
The magic, the spell
The night and the water
Held on all of us.

26. something ancient, sacred – v2
something ancient, sacred
speaking to my spirit
connected to this place
something familiar
as I walk among the trees
I have been here before
among the ferns, the pines
something ancient, sacred
something familiar
touching my heart and mind

27. Our Good Shepherd

29. Pronounced Righteous
By the Grace of God
by the Sacrifice of Christ
by the Spirit indwelling
bringing us back to Life
Pronounced Righteous
made right with God
not by our Works
but by the Grace of God
November 4, 2013

30. formed within the stone – v6
within their flesh, their bodies
their true self within them
hidden but present
formed within the stone
before their beginning
who they will be
the truth of their being
already present, waiting
formed within the stone
before their beginning

31. Jeremiah’s Corner

32. quick to deny the accolades – v5
watching his presentation
his words of reality, of addiction
how the drug holds him
a struggle every day
laughing at himself
the absurdity, tragedy
knowing the grip, the hold
they have on him today
taking courage to stand before them
friends and family ready
honestly sharing, open
the truth of his life
sharing his challenge
the struggles still remaining

33. giving voice to his demons
the struggle within him, present
“I am an addict”, not “I was an addict. . . ;“
words echoing in the full room
before so many who love him
who know what he had done
ready to lift him up
to heap him with praise
as if he was finished
the journey already won;
but he was quick to deny the accolades
the battle continuing still

34. his response stopping them in their tracks
a change of the atmosphere
the environment in the room
speaking truth, his pain, his struggle
not recovered; in the fight, yet,
the battle day by day
prayers needed ever, today
for his incarceration, prison,
the battle still before him
in a dark place, remaining
to love him as he is
a beautiful chipped vessel
offering his life to God, truly;
still struggling with the demons

36. Red Sox Win – v2
Red Sox win
Yankees lose
A story so big
It led the news
Bumped politics
Down the page
It may even reduce
New England road rage
A-Rod and Jeter
What can be sweeter
Oh look, what we found,
We caught a cheater

37. Taking two from them
In their park
Big Papi
Was our spark
Down and out
A three-oh slide
Not the end for this
Team with Pride
Red Sox Nation
Delirious
This whole World Series
Will be just as serious.
Reverse the Curse
All these ages
So this club’s history
Will fill more pages