I've actually tinkered with things like these issues in the past few years -
"The Framer" is about more than building the right wall, obviously- but I have always been struck by the fundamental principle that framing the strongest structure- wall, home, etc., takes tension- the healthy kind that finds compromise in its opposing forces and becomes something stronger still for the gentle pressures all the parts contribute to the whole.
"Divisions" speaks to the what the earth needs us to remember- that we share it, that we cross it to be together rather than be apart.
The Framer
The framer plies a trade hidden, behind
Smooth plaster and lath; generations of
Life inside the bones of strong walls, crafted
By one who understands the value of support
And connectedness, and simple true materials
Tested first by sun and rain, drought and thick, heavy winter.
Upon the solid footing of stone,
Connected to the earth, reliant
On its steadfast nature, the bottom plate,
Straight, true and carefully measured.
Each stud in his wall, placed with care and knowledge,
An understanding of the wood’s strength and value.
There’s no selection necessary- each piece,
The Framer knows, has a place and purpose.
No board is perfect- this is known, and welcomed-
Instead, that which is different: the checks,
The gentle warpings and cups,
The very character and nature
Of once-living things are welcomed by the Framer;
A perfect position for every part in his creation.
The Framer understands that only these
Add the strength of tension and pressure
Necessary to hold the load of a world,
Subtle in its task yet complex in its connection
To a life it protects and nurtures.
Each section of the Framer’s creation
Meets the next, pushing into the past,
Pulling forward to the future. This is how
Tree becomes a wall, becomes a home, becomes a world.
Finished, the Framer leaves no trace of his craft
On the surface, but deep in the center,
The bones of the world remain strong and true-
The beauty and grace he crafts from the worth of each
Create the treasure of all.
- Andy Lang
Divisions
Hate should never divide us;
thoughts and words
should never divide us.
Rivers and mountains and fields
should be our only divisions.
These are divisions given us
by the heart of the world,
barriers to be explored
and enjoyed and experienced --
These are the divisions
that should define us--
divisions that are placed
to help us know who we are,
what we are capable of,
how blessed we are
the song of the world
is so rich and varied.
These are the divisions
we are meant to love
and cherish every day;
we are meant to come together
in and over and through these divisions
to better understand:
we are all verses in the song--
and the waters, and the stones,
the trees and the wild grasses
and the brambles,
and the dust in the breeze
call the tune.
- Andy Lang