Psalm 133

Contented generations worship in the traditions of their fathers;
~~the centered bend their knees from the loins of their origins.

Believers sense Your wonder, Lord, and find a towering view;
~~they realize Your reason in their minds.

But I am poor in You, Lord; I mourn with the orphan,
~~and I hold nothing greater than the openness of his hand.

Psalm 132

Where, Lord, are your children of community,
~~and where are your children of human unity?

Where are your former rule and order, Lord,
~~and honored borders under your sovereignty?

The seed of this generation is scattered past reach:
~~is this your plan?

As the ripened fruit drops and rolls its core to a new place,
~~and winged seeds flutter in the wayward wind,

and as the burr and barb snarl in fur and feather,
~~so they all fall by your design and plant a sign of your good nature:

and as surely as your friend the squirrel will lodge more acorns than he needs,
~~so each new life will embrace a greater season’s company.

Psalm 131

Saving Grace, save us from the safe war, unmanned arms that captivate our minds: at their impact, I quake.
~~God, spare us the undeclared war, the terror of surrender to it: this new wave.
~~Set down the horror of remote war: the minute detail it leaves in its wake.

We praise the wonder of wireless fire,
~~we prize the ash of earth where we see the target die,
~~and we believe this artificial ease will become less dire.

Keep us, Lord, until the rain of self-propelled intelligence is seen as drought,
~~until a reign of peace is found,
~~until we have in hand the nearest perfect end for which we fought.

Psalm 130

They say war can be won;
~~they say in war we stand to gain:

I say the soul has stepped back before training has begun;
~~I say our ground is set back if we march to win.

Psalm 129

In home and travel, love;
~~if plan or puzzle, love;

from need or nourishment, love;
~~when seed or tree, love;

whether stored or spent, love;
~~when the neck of hope is broken, love;

whatever color and clear, love;
~~from temple to ankle, love;

above sold or stolen, love;
~~under one in anger, love;

although wronged, love;
~~even as soon as wronged, love;

my child, blue spruce, white pine, green tree, yellow daffodil,
~~do everything with love;

again, again, again, my love,
~~love.