{"id":6870,"date":"2016-12-07T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-12-07T16:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=6870"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:44:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:44:29","slug":"this-complicated-imperfect-world-a-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2016\/12\/07\/this-complicated-imperfect-world-a-poem\/","title":{"rendered":"This complicated, imperfect world: a poem"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"child-Fall-leaves-path\"
Photo courtesy of Michael Krueger<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is a complicated world,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> but not for the sake of trying.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do we respond? \u00a0What is it that I have done?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Have I tried to lay in the long grass,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> to wake early and see my breath?<\/span><\/p>\n

When did I last wait to hear,<\/span><\/p>\n

Not answer, not voice, but a bird,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> the woodpecker\u2019s sharp tap outside the bedroom window.<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember when I last walked in the rain<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> to look up and see the downpour.<\/span><\/p>\n

Am I afraid of getting wet, of tracking mud?<\/span><\/p>\n

How quickly I forget my coat, a pair of boots<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Do I even remember where in the closet they are stored?<\/span><\/p>\n

I must go out this next time.<\/span><\/p>\n

I must remember that it is expected of me<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> to not remain dry<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> to track mud onto the floor boards.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is expected that I do not remain a stoic philosopher forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good reflection never came from sitting at the altar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless I propose to be a monk,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> but even the monk must laugh<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> and he does look up into the rain.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a complicated world<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> but made less so because I am not a monk<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> however much I would like to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

And although not a religious<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> I will still pray.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps I will even pray tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps my words will carry hints of the sacred.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a sacred found in the ordinary;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Alive and riveted by this complicated, imperfect world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Alive and riveted by this complicated, imperfect life.<\/span><\/p>\n

And my feet have been introduced to mud,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> my hair drips rain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe I shall yet live<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> or at the very least I will try.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Rabble Rouser<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Krueger\"Michael-Krueger\"<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Michael Krueger first met Sister Julia in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as an undergraduate student at Viterbo University and dishwasher at St. Rose Convent<\/a>. She was the only sister who didn\u2019t leave a generous tip. (All joking aside, the one and only tip he actually received was the priceless call to FSPA affiliation in 2009). He credits that \u201ctop-notch Franciscan education\u201d for putting him on a path to La Crosse\u2019s Place of Grace Catholic Worker House (where he lived for two-and-a-half years), SOA peace vigils, work with developmentally disabled adults (inspired by Jean Vanier and L\u2019Arche), commitment to social justice and a chance dinner with Roy Bourgeois. He currently lives near Madison with his wife and young\u00a0daughter, and recently joined efforts to begin a Catholic Worker<\/a> community there.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"    This is a complicated world, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 but not for the sake of trying. How do we respond? \u00a0What is it that I have done? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have I tried to lay in the long grass, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 to wake early and see my breath? When did I last wait to hear, Not answer, not voice,...","protected":false},"author":103603832,"featured_media":6865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341],"tags":[1546,560777,698755381,636445,107983,1965851,15731195,1861871,853,12361,2282,118194],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-6870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","tag-challenges","tag-complicated","tag-contemplation","tag-imperfect","tag-mud","tag-nature-poem","tag-philisopher","tag-poetry-2","tag-prayer","tag-rain","tag-social-justice","tag-trial","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/child-autumn-path-courtesy-michael-krueger1.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"

This complicated, imperfect world: a poem<\/a><\/blockquote>