In that essential stillness...

that quiet endless hour

preceding every dawn

of every day...

God breathes into the world of sleep

whatever power might be taken

to reach

that waking moment

in the warm falling rain of his grace...

In every year,

whenever the wheel has turned

into the place where it must turn again

or stop...

for want of hope

or lack of faith...

God breathes once again

into the greater whole...

this soft malleable whiteness

this stone...

he blesses

this unformed essence of extraordinary love,

not yet fashioned with object

or desire...

it awaits our cleansed and contrite heart.

awaits our innocence returned

awaits our renewing hope and certain will and impetus

that we might approach closer to the mark...

We have fallen back

upon the dying leaves...

upon the sidewalks of shouting cities

into the guttering run;

where flows the secret mind of our hidden deeds,

more times than we can

through mercy

recall....

Every breath

every morsel of food

every chance of redemption

every possibility of hope;

rests upon the bleeding power

that has bought and paid for every coming minute of the age...

Every twisted ugly thing

Every kindness unseen

every gentle thought

every whip hand falling

or whatever we may have turned it to...

all paid for by the living vision

of the one who dies

who is crucified

in the simultaneous instant of every act....

everything is permitted and fed

that we might, through the gift

of this unspeakably great thing

come to see how we might be....

and the certain possibility of that...

for every one of us

no matter how dark the way

how far afield...

is the 'ceaseless' intent

of the one left bleeding....

what freedom is

what love is

what peace is

we have no clue

only the yearning

and the road that leads us there...

Many have filled this void with words

Many heroes come

and seeming villains to meet them in their time

all sleeping now

in places deep and waiting...

but this one does not sleep

Is born anew in every breath

shines from each shining eye

cannot and will not forget

carries us past the trouble and regret.

In tongues forgotten he has come

to every race

in every time

dressed as everyone

always unknown and alone

and waiting...

this immeasurable gift

unappreciated

not understood

remains...

lays on the common ground

is tossed aside as worthless

is unseen among the items in the cart

feeds us

grants us life where there would be none...

endless granted, giving life...

full and safe and perfect

I do believe....

~