Sunday, May 12, 2013

Nature, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



As a fond mother, when the day is o’er,
Leads by the hand her little child to bed,
Half willing, half reluctant to be led,
And leave his broken playthings on the floor,
Still gazing at them through the open door,
Nor wholly reassured and comforted
By promises of others in their stead,
Which, though more splendid, may not please him more;
So nature deals with us, and takes away
Our playthings one by one, and by the hand
Leads us to rest so gently, that we go
Scarce knowing if we wish to go or stay,
Being too full of sleep to understand
How far the unknown transcends the what we know.


                               

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Donkey’s Foot Is Sure Along the Path




"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" 
No prayer - yet. 

There will be many days and nights to offer prayer.  
No, no prayer.  A shout of anger and frustration 
Barked up to an indifferent world.
Shame and fear, a calmer voice,
“Is there a chance they could have made a misdiagnosis?” 
None and now, 
Blood, 
Chaotic and lost, turns on itself 
And consumes the host.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Jesus Sweet Christ.  
Where is that muscular savior, 
That laughing God son?  
He has gone to the field with his disciples and 
I can see him at the crest of the hill, 
Boldly swinging his scythe.  
Bless this harvest.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  
Where is that rustling warmth?
Where are the delicate hands
Running through my hair, 
Drawing my throbbing head to rest
On the breasts that fed a child God?  
Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  
There she sits in high crowned glory,
Robed in the sky, 
Her eyes glittering and indifferent.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  
So here we are 
Left with little Joseph.  
Patient as bees, 
Slowly he  draws the blade 
Along the beam edge 
To erase the last imperfection.  
He hears the crowd outside 
Swept along its way to Jerusalem and
He returns to his tools. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Joseph leads the donkey along the path, 
Unburdened now – no mother, no king.  
And I follow.

The donkey’s foot is sure along the path 
But so close to the cliff edge 
I can hear breezes lift
With the heat to move my hair.  
They whisper how easily the sparrows rise 
On their wings, how easy is the flight 
Across the river.  But if I gaze over the edge 
The rocky bed is very far below 
And the water is black with the dead.