bitterness
unbending desperation fills air
Cross to sepulcher
who
would have thought anymore of him
hopeless
disconsolate
resignation attending
pierced
crushed
punished
their Master
spurned
forgotten
lying cold
their Teacher
sleeping
entombed
one morning to one evening
one dawn to one midnight
third day breaks swirling high
glistening
sourceresplendence streaming low to earth
bedrock rouses
earth convulses,
tumbling, quaking
tremors
angel
descends
rolls back stone
sits
smiles
waits
three arrive to attend
spices, oils, according to command
sourcebut nothing to attend
“Why seek the living among the dead”
panic encircles
blackbirds in flight
smoke envelopes
minds confused
but
streaking glimmers speak
He
Is
Not
Here
blackbirds to doves
sourcesoaring
splitting darkness
now among the living
not among the dead
then…
a voice…
they knew…
“Peace”
“Go”
“Tell”
love inhabits every part
anguish to peace
woe to elation
they run
they fly
spices and oils
not needed
removed
no anointing for the living
no living among the dead
risen
not sleeping
just
as
he
said
♥✞ღ
God bless you all.
Thank you for reading.
Today is Wednesday
Thursday draws near
Friday looms
Sunday unfailingly follows
bedecked in glory
Easter
Will
Arrive
(If you haven’t read Easter poem one and two – and if you are a teensy bit curious – or if you’d like to read them again – they are here and here
“Walking with Him” toward Easter with Ann…
and since it’s a poem I linked with a true poet…
and Bonnie is one of the first blogs I read – and loved so…
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful, Craig! Absolutely wonderful. And the pictures to go along with your words are ideal. The first one made me cringe, but isn’t that how I should respond to the murder of God? The joy at the end makes up for it all. Thanks!
Lisa thank you. It’s a different kind of Easter poem. Not sure everyone will get it. But it’s real. That first picture is important – it has the same effect on me as you – thank you Lisa – thank you lots – I heart this poem – God Bless.
Again here and again blessed. Thank you for your offering. God bless you today and always -
Thank you Amy – I don’t get credit for the story – just plagiarizing the Bible – thank you though – and God bless you.
wow…intense and powerful view of easter….this is art at its best on several levels…
Brian thank you, from my heart, I think the pictures – those brilliant pictures – they make the ordinary – special. I heart this poem. It’s not a fluffy lamb Easter poem – two out of the three I wrote are non fluffy. But Easter is the THING. Without light splitting darkness we are all lost. Thank you Brian – thank you. God bless you.
Like my retelling of the story from my tradition…yours to is unique and beautiful…filled with a heart of compassion…it is such a blessing to be able to learn and share and connect across different religious journeys…all paths to the One.
I share so much of your tradition – I so honor your path – I see the Jewish tradition in you and read a little more – I’ll know more as I read more. You have been a blessing today – I was blessed by your words – and now your presence. Thank you.
I do know this much – Our God is One אלהינו הוא אחד
“Why seek the living among the dead?” Can you even imagine how discombobulating those words were, how treacherous the hope that blazed up with them seemed? And yet the unbelievable was completely true. He is risen indeed! Thanks for taking me into the garden of the dead with the perfume bearers. For a wonderous moment their surprise was my own.
It’s only NOT discombobulating (good word!!) when we keep it all religiousy and theoretical. But you are so right – so right. To really get it we need first to know someone close who has died – then we can get it. TO have that person in front of us NOT dead anymore – and not a ghost or hallucination or pretend – but really alive. In movies it happens – but not in real life – and yes – I’m with you – I’m not sure what I’d do. Thank you so much for reading. God Bless you and your journey – you have been prayed for.
I see why you heart this poem.
Me too! God bless you as you lean more and more on Him. Sunday’s coming!
I do heart this poem – still poems hate me – I LOVE THEM – but they hate me – grrrrrrrr. Oh well – looks like I write poems now – or rather TAME them!!
God bless Deb.
Once again, you have struggled with words, and once again you have brought them into submission. Into a touching rendition of the reason of our Hope. Thank you.
So true Michelle – they threaten to eat me alive ever. single. time. Thank you for liking the words – thank you – God Bless you Michelle.
Loved it! Or as you might say, I heart it:)
I DO HEART it. I heart the word heart. How did you ever know??? A wise and insightful woman you are!!!! Thank you for hearting it. That means a lot to me – poems – especially the non cute fuzzy lamb-y variety are risky. So thank you and God Bless you Christina.
Love that smiling angel!
Beautful poem, powerful words.
Me too Monica – knowing secrets is fun. No? And thank you for your kind words – I’m not a poet. I say all the time I HEART poems but poems DON”T HEART me. They seek to do violence to my brain and spirit every time. Poems are HARD. SO thank you very much. God bless you.
Great poem, Craig. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Have I told you recently how much it means to me to see you in my comment section. Makes me smile – thank you. And for your kind words – thank you – and God Bless you Joy!!
So moving. Such a powerful poem. Thank you for this, Blessings to you and yours this Easter. What a gift.
Kris – I was just cleaning out my spam comments and somehow your comment got blocked – I have roundly disciplined the spam catcher program thing and it will not happen again.
Thank you very very much for your kind words. Really. Thank you. These things always start one way and by the end they’re in a whole different spot. And poems end up pretty and all – but they are MEAN – they mess with you as you try to work them out!! At least they mess with me. Maybe they sense the fear or something. Thank you again. and Blessings to YOU and yours too this Easter.
exquisite craig! i love how you turned scripture into dramatic prose… and the image of the blackbirds/doves is breathtaking. you bless us all. happy easter! e.
Emily – I so respect your opinion – maybe someday you can tell mw why poetry is so mean to me – I like how it ends up – but it HATES me – I’m nice to it and all – but it tries to kill me when I write it – just sayin’ – I know you know the answer. Thank you very much Emily. God bless you and yours.
The end result of poetry doing “violence to your brain” (as you poetically say!)– is stunning! And you always seem to find the right pictures that just fit. This is beautiful, Craig, thank you for this lovely offering.
I think it’s the pictures – I do search hard for them – I’m thankful for the artists who make them – I can’t. Thank you so much for your kind words. Maybe the more I write them the better I’ll get at defending myself against their rebellious ways. I like how they turn out – but they really are MEAN to me when I try to write them. Again – thank you – and God Bless you!!
Thanks for your kind comments and sharing your Easter poems, may you have a blessed Easter week!
thank YOU Rachel – I hope your Easter week is blessed too. Grace and Peace.
Very powerful, Craig! I’m glad I stopped in to experience your poem. Blessings!
Thank you Renee Ann, I’m glad you came by. I’m not a poet – I keep telling that to everybody here. They don’t believe me. But poems are HARD – and they are nasty and bite when you try to write them!!! Still I heart them even though they don’t heart me – good exercise in loving the unlovable.
And thank you for your kind words – I think the pictures made it so powerful – I heart each and every one of those pictures. God bless you – and thank you.
Powerful word choices and imagery. As a girl and still today, something totally, quietly called me about the women going to the tomb and finding it empty – and to find the one they loved so much, who had suffered so much, risen, over-coming the wretchedness of life. The most powerful moment since creation!
I love poetry! Poetry is all about word power – and yours was powerful!
Have a blessed Easter!
Those women – they were the loyal ones – the ones not ashamed to be identified with a failed preacher, an outlaw, who everyone now thought was the worst thing you could be in Israel – a false Messiah. And THEY were at the Cross, and THEY were at the grave – and all the guys except John hid. Thank you very much for your kind words. Really, thank you. You have a blessed Easter too!!
Awesome.
Thanks for the comment on my blog too!
Peace
Merissa thank you very much – your words (well word) are (is) kind. I appreciate it – it makes me smile. God bless you – and Peace ☮(◠‿◠)
“Peace”
“Go”
“Tell”
love inhabits every part
anguish to peace
woe to elation…” I love the simplicity of these words that say so much in such a light- and life-giving way. This makes a beautiful picture of Him reaching out to us in my mind.
Poem wrestling…someday maybe you would let us peer over your shoulder and hear your thoughts each step of the way as you wrestle with the labor pains of bringing forth a new poem.
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