resurrection

Now when he arose early

on the first day of the week,

he appeared first to

Mary Magdalene

from whom he had cast out seven demons. (Mark 16:9)

Jesus, who

are you? What

kind

of a man, a God

that you—pure,

holylovethatisfire—

go first to the woman—unclean,

shamed, despised—

the woman healed.

The woman come early worshipping,

bringing beauty and spices (from where?)

soft,following and ministering to

you

appeared. 

slow and marching letters

How is it that it's always new?

Is it always speaking?

Alive?

Am I so forgetful?

              unobservant?

              small & finite?

Is it new?

Am I new and so

I hear it different?

Does his tone change upon my next opening?

Did he grow the words while I slept?

This book, this book

the word

a word

Christ, the word

Messiah, Emmanuel

God with us, word with us,

among us, piercing us, dividing us,

healing us, washing us.

O, sword, Spirit's sword,

O, water

O, bread

           O, Christ.

Now I sit, I stop, I open, I pray, I train my eyes and ears to run back and forth across these thin & stoic pages. I force myself to sit & wait. For anything?

For nothing?

Hello?

Sit & wait impatient, unbelieving (but I've seen it before)

Drop the seed & cover with dirt:

And miracle of miracles, by the time I'm mad

just as I've forgotten & called them dead

a leaf unbends itself, 

pushing up the dirt.

And sword

And water

And bread

O seed of life.

Seed of Christ

in my tilled up heart

I wait

I wait on you.

From shriveled marching letters

in worn and distant heart

Life springs new

New and new

How is it that it's always new?