What Is It – Poems from Kirk Part 1
Posted on July 16, 2013 in Uncategorized
I am on vacation with my family this week, so in my place please enjoy poems from my friend Kirk! I am thankful for his gift of words, and hope they bless and inspire you.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Ch. 14 The Beginning of the End of the World) The Lord of the island before the end or the world, Ramadu, explains that he is a star at rest and the impetuous boy, Eustace, responds.
“In our world,” said Eustace, “a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.” Ramadu replies, “Even in your world, my son that is not what a star is but only what it is made of.”
(VDT, Ch. 14 The Beginning of the End of the World)
What It Is
Of Things….
Anyone with the right education
And a microscope,
Or a telescope,
Or even a sharp knife
Can divide into parts,
The “secrets” of life
Scrutinize, Analyze, and Categorize
And tell you what it’s made of,
But who can tell you what it is.
Of History…..
Anyone with the right education
Can dig up the find, layout the stones
Sift the earth, and arrange the bones,
Pour in assumptions till they fill in the gaps,
Draw in conclusions make up their own maps,
Then publish their theories as if they are facts.
They can tell you what it’s “made of”,
But who can tell you what it is?
But what does it matter?
“Made of” or “is”
It’s not a big deal,
it’s not worth a fight.
If I can tell you what it’s made of,
Then I’ve got the right,
To tell you what it is.
Of Humans….
Cells arranged in a womb,
They can even see all the parts,
They know what it’s made of,
But can they tell you what it is?
Can the mother really decide?
Who gets the power to name?
Fetus or Baby,
they are not the same.
One is a stage,
The other’s a name.
“Made of” and “is”,
They are not the same!
“Ascribe to the Lord
The Glory due His name.”
God get’s the say.
It was His from the start.
HE, tells us What It Is.
He makes more than parts.
It’s more than the parts.
You’re more than parts.
He makes more than parts.
Kirk’s passion has always been a unique mix of creative design and expression plus nerdish detailed administrative management in the fierce pursuit of serving others, especially his family. Family for Kirk means blessed husband and father of 4 – as he says, “one of each kind” – birth daughter, step daughter, goddaughter and adopted son.
Kirk Manton is the Director of Production Service at Trinity Fellowship in Amarillo Texas and a little bit more. Born in Ohio (1960), raised in California, lived in Amarillo since 2001. His professional career has included: Youth Minister, Disneyland Entertainment Specialist, Freelance Film Gaffer and, yes, “Key Grip”, Civic Center Production Manager, and now, in addition to his professional role at Trinity, he is the volunteer Event Production Manager of the non-profit, C.S. Lewis Foundation.
Kirk’s life has been quite a unique journey – from surf city to Hollywood, from prison to Crystal Cathedral, foster kids, adoption, celebrities, brain tumors, despair to redemptive joy! If you are brave enough and have an hour or so to spare, you can ask him to share his story and you’ll walk away saying, “I had no idea….” and “God is so good.”
And out of all this life experience he writes…..
www.facebook.com/kirkmanton
https://twitter.com/kirkmanton
kirkmanton@gmail.com
A book of poems and essays is coming soon.
