.................................
The Apostle Reminisces
.................................

A great thunderclap -
that would have been nice -
and hands of angels reach down
to release Him,
or our Lord put on light
and glowing rise, or like
a bird sprout wings

and amaze our enemies,
and we triumphant
standing on that hill.
There was no miracle - He said,
'there will be no sign'.
And as it always is - events
just played out, no
Great Intervention came
and everyone went home.

And we left to contemplate
our plainness, our aloneness
to invent our miracles
and say, we will take the body
away and create a tale.
Mary told us it is the spirit
He meant, all flesh goes
to dust, and so it seems
only she really understood.

Such thoughts are not fit
for lowly folks, and Mary,
but a woman, in the end
we will cast off her books,
remind people what she was -
not our Lord's confidante -
a common tramp, a servant,
redeemed by His Grace -
that is enough. Not His voice,
His words.

It's not the place for women,
speaking out like some priestess,
some cult - forget that we were
all unschooled fishermen and worse.
Now we will be Fathers, choose
the knowledge for this church.
A leader knows what is good
to tell his people.

Though sometimes, growing old,
I think how Mary, in that place
she spoke of, the place we cannot see,
beyond flesh and sin, sits
at the Master's feet,
and when my time arrives, I must
look into her pure clear face
and bear the accusation in her eyes.

.................................
Kim Hodges
.................................

 
Copyright © Kim Hodges
March 1996

...a poem in this room by Mere Smith...
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