This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Feel the dignity of a child. Do not feel superior to him for you are not.
Those who cannot begin do not finish.
Robert Henri (1865-1929) was an American painter and teacher. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he studied in Paris where he strongly identified with the impressionists, as he pursued a more progressive approach with his paintings.
For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning–not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.
From Luke 2:13-14: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace among those whom he favors!'”
Frederick Buechner (1926-2022) was an American pastor, Christian theologian, and author. His writings were published in 39 books, which included several different genres.