Neil Meili

Zen Cowboy Poet & Freelance Philosopher

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Tag Archives: Religion

Little Church

Audio Recordings, Family, Ranch Life, Remembering / tagged Humor, Religion / July 17, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Sometimes, as far from everywhere as we were,
a visiting or student minister would make the long trek and our one room school would become a church for the day

It didn't happen often
so the first time my three year old brother sitting in the second row heard him say
"Jesus Christ"
he turned and said
"He swore Mom, the minister swore"
"Shh" said my mother
"He swore, he swore, he swore" said Wally
every effort to silence him only increasing his insistence and volume

Most fun that most of us, except my mother, ever had in church

Sunday at Maria’s

Audio Recordings / tagged Celebration, Community, Faith, Religion / May 26, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The kind of church you only get in Austin

All the great gospel singing without the sermon

And when you put your money in the collection plate

You get back not only blessings

But also, a taco and a beer

First Sunday After The Eclipse

Audio Recordings / tagged Faith, Hope, Religion / April 14, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The first day
was changing dark to light
after that was building from it

The mud from which Adam
and his betrothed rib were made
and all they saw all made from light

That sticky stuff
at the edges of your eyes
as you blinked awake this morning
Adam's mud from God's light and love

Church Tour of Europe

Audio Recordings, Travel / tagged Faith, Religion / April 3, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Churches along the Rhine look down
in dark and somber judgement
on the towns below

In Milan the stone itself is full of light
its celebration lifting you to God

The forefathers of all French waiters
built Notre Dame to their own glory

But I lit a candle there for Dan
and he got well

Paradiso

Audio Recordings, Personal Growth / tagged Faith, Heaven, Literature, Paradise, Religion, Searching / February 22, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Finally diving into Dante
skipping Inferno and Pergatorio
and straight through to Paradiso

Theory being that life will provide plenty
of coals to walk on with or without my help

Protestant at Catholic school
I've passed through the purgatory
of "No Questions" nuns teaching catechism

Heaven on the other hand
might still be a thing for earning
and worth the price of active search
with any maps and guides a blessing

There's Beatrice now, I'll follow her and let you know

1 Reply

The Threat

Audio Recordings / tagged Faith, Fear, First Nations, Heaven, Hell, Native, Religion / October 1, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Religions arising in hot countries
know what people know of hell on earth and add a few degrees

Religions born in colder climes
threaten eternity with never a thaw

In the happy hunting grounds
it is always perfect hunting weather

Down Under

Audio Recordings, Flight, Travel / tagged Faith, Reincarnation, Religion / December 22, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Flying toward the sunset
crossing the International date line
you do not exist on this earth for a day

You may be in heaven or hell
depending on who you are meeting there
and it may seem or be that you're there forever

Fortunately there are alternatives
plenty of religions believe in return tickets
and you may get to fly again into another sunrise

Church Windows

Audio Recordings / tagged Faith, Fear, Religion / December 12, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Someone, I think it was Rilke, said
Religion is like a window
you can see God through it
but it keeps you from touching him

Summer job at sixteen
removing for re-leading
panels of old stained glass
from Moose Jaw's St. Andrews Church

Rickety extension ladder
up to a plank between the parapets
another ladder barely on it
and a long drop to the stone steps

Hands trembling, knees shaking
glad I was on the God side of the glass

Thelma and Louise on Garden Tractors

Audio Recordings / tagged Humor, Pathos, Politics, Religion, Women's rights / November 17, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Thelma and Louise
on garden tractors heading for the irrigation ditch

Thelma and Louise
tired of the praying at and preying on
are running from the suburbs hell bent for leather

Running from the suburbs
with a posse of protestants hot on their tails
gun racks on their riding mowers big iron on their hips
firing commandments and amendments with fifty shot clips

We’ve seen the movie before, we know how it ends

Good Company

Audio Recordings, Family / tagged Mother, Religion / July 25, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

eating God the way
a bear eats meat against winter - John Steinbeck

Though mother hungered for heaven
she did not wish to reside there alone

Got dad therefore Baptist drowned to wash away what he washed down

Dressed us often in Sunday best
to learn the answers to the entry test

And awaits our fates by the pearly gates

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Ken Christopher on War WoundsNovember 12, 2024
So true, the barbed wire 👍🏼
Niece Karen on Quaking in the AtticOctober 23, 2024
Perfect metaphor - you captured me perfectly!
Ken Christopher on God is Getting OnOctober 22, 2024
Anger contained in love
Murray on Feels of the Farm – FlaxOctober 15, 2024
Now that's vintage knowledge Neil!!!! Hope you're feeling much better. Your poem would suggest you are!!
Ken Christopher on Fowl SupperSeptember 22, 2024
Wonderful poem Neil

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