The mountains sink, the valleys quake and rise to make the tortured earth a level plain. Above our heads the stars fall from the skies: All things must pass, and nothing will remain. Creation’s every inch writhes in this pain. See, birth and dying are not separate works, and in your advent, Lord, Good Friday lurks. For entropy is woven in all things: Now you are just as threadbare as the next and lose more stitches with each hour that rings. Like us, you bloom at prime and fade by sext, are tried in flame by vespers, spirit vexed. When compline comes, your clockwork will wind down. How can a mortal man bear heaven’s crown? You could have stayed far off, untouched by birth. You who command the cleanliness of space need not set foot upon this filthy earth to save us in a million other ways. But no, the universe shares in one grace: The galaxies, O God, are born of dust, and so are you now, into dying thrust. All flesh is grass, and yet all flesh shall see the glory you conceal within your skin— like mine, too tender.
Those lines nearly brought me to tears. How beautiful.
I'm amazed at how you choose words that don't normally fit together--"Creation's every inch writhes," "tried in flame by vespers," "untouched by birth," to name a few --and make music out of them. I feel blessed to have read this poem this morning!!
Thank you so much! This one came out of that phrase "All flesh shall see the salvation of God" and realizing that maybe, possibly, that meant my flesh, too.
I just read the Divine Comedy and It got me wondering about the resurrection of the flesh. I had though it was a doctrine that showed creation redeemed. But if we could all be balls of light in heaven, why was that important? So this poem gives me one answer, that creation redeemed is part of the miracle of incarnation, the human-being-close-to-God part.
"Nearsighted, squinting and then leaning in
to see you clearly while the veil is thin,
I cannot shield you from the death you chose,
but for a moment, I can hold you close."
Those lines nearly brought me to tears. How beautiful.
I'm amazed at how you choose words that don't normally fit together--"Creation's every inch writhes," "tried in flame by vespers," "untouched by birth," to name a few --and make music out of them. I feel blessed to have read this poem this morning!!
Thank you so much!
How…do you manage this beauty? Again and again? This is rich and true.
Thank you so much! This one came out of that phrase "All flesh shall see the salvation of God" and realizing that maybe, possibly, that meant my flesh, too.
Yes! And mine too. I love the hours of prayer stanza. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!
You're very welcome!
“See, birth and dying are not separate works,
and in your advent, Lord, Good Friday lurks.”
I love it when Good Friday comes into Christmas in poetry.
The hours of prayer stanza gives me lovely shivers.
“You who command the cleanliness of space
need not set foot upon this filthy earth”
I love this image.
And the nearsighted moment in the final stanza: “Nearsighted, squinting and then leaning in
to see you clearly while the veil is thin,”
The final couplet is perfect.
Thank you so much! The Good Friday line was actually a surprise, so I'm glad it worked!
I loved that line too
I just read the Divine Comedy and It got me wondering about the resurrection of the flesh. I had though it was a doctrine that showed creation redeemed. But if we could all be balls of light in heaven, why was that important? So this poem gives me one answer, that creation redeemed is part of the miracle of incarnation, the human-being-close-to-God part.
Yes! Creation in all its frail mortality will be redeemed!