The kiss meant to betray honored
The arrest meant to end began
The words meant to charge freed
The stripes meant to wound healed
The crown meant to mock heralded
The cries meant to doom lifted
The cross meant to burden unleashed
The sign meant to accuse declared
The nails meant to torture identified
The sword meant to pierce solidified
The stone meant to secure revealed
The cloth meant to cover displayed
The tomb meant to hide announced
The death meant to squelch ignited
Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash
Poetry
Light
Light uncovers
the begging to be
seen, corrected, confessed, forgiven, celebrated, heard, protected, cleansed.
Light pulls
out the
disfigured, undiscovered, forgotten, lonely, hurting, rotting, hidden, stolen.
Light comes
rhythmically to every
morning, home, friend, neighbor, child, field, highway, mountain.
Light resurrects
what darkness
broke, destroyed, severed, tore, distorted, invaded, belied, abandoned.
Light wins
in every
heart, mind, city, neighborhood, country, family, room, soul.
Journey’s End
Alone
Words piercing
Pain
Breath embracing
Music
Harmonies welcoming
Freedom
Heart bursting
Love
Forgiveness flowing
Whole
Peace restoring
Home
Eternity smiling
Photo by BRUNO EMMANUELLE on Unsplash
Sabbath Prayer
Before I slept I prayed
A simple request
Questioned selfish or communal
“Rain”
While I slept you replied
A gentle grant
Received familial and sacrificial
“Gladly”
After I slept I smiled
A pleasing sound
Whispered kept and fulfilled
“Clean”
Photo by Jack Finnigan on Unsplash
Mile 4
Pat Schneider’s writing is inspiring. Needed attempt at brain pressure release.
Unsuspected I approach
They meander
Pacing and pecking, flapping and feeding, united and unique
Unsurprised I pause
They pass
busy and bothered, noticed and noted, caught and captured
Unhesitant I acknowledge
They came
sent and selected, happy and harmonious, celebratory and committed
Reflecting on seeing the flock of ibis on my run this morning, the day after my birthday, and my friend who joked I work like them. “The family flew in.”
John Gregory 