Courthouse across Toronto City Hall
Squatting on busy street corner
Eyes luminous as grey clouds
Ask him what is he doing here ?
After all
When the last of lashes ended
When the last of thorns struck
His sacrifice
is laid above the glass ceiling
Every Sunday mass
When chapel doors open to everyone
But here in train pack or city swarming
of people of every skin color & hair
Would I know you?
Would you be the one standing with a bullhorn
and a street placard,
Repent!
Or giving out flyers to pedestrians ?
Or playing an old rusty guitar to faceless throng?
Are you the old man muttering to himself
Frail as fractured mirror, hair in disarray?
Or blind young man with a beautiful golden dog?
In the sudden warmth of morning sun
I see shadows hovering, ambivalent of dove's return.
Sliding between
moderation and free will
I touch my mother's blessed rosary & water
Perhaps I am saved by her faithful prayers.
She tells me a faith healer has eased my father's pains.
As I pass by
a man with vitiligo, huddled beside a dirty plate,
a woman with empty street cart shouting-
Any old shoes ! Any old clothes!
Beggar,
If you come across the Messiah, please let me know.
Process Notes:I have used the following words from the list provided by Anthony Desmond: Luminous, Glass, Door, Plate, Vitiligo, Messiah, Warmth, Shadow.
Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Thanks for the visit ~
excellent...i wonder if we would recognize him if we saw him out of church...who would he be...would he look anything like what we believe? i doubt it...the last lines made me smile, i think the humblest among us might recognize him more.
ReplyDeletetagged u in
DeleteThanks Brian ~
DeleteNothing wrong with muttering to yourself haha caught quite the scene indeed at your feed
ReplyDeleteVery touching and well written.
ReplyDeleteOh.. this is a great write, I think we would not find him or recognize him.. first of all because he would return as a she... To test us, return as the most unlikable person we could ever find.. however could it be a test for us otherwise
ReplyDeletei'm glad you pointed out the daisies in the glass enclosed sunday edifice while the weeds,still a flower not unlike the daisies, that survive every day sometimes forgotten and faceles and not just sundays.
ReplyDeleteyou wrote this well, mi amiga
You have taken those words and given us a slice of the city streets - and have us looking in every face for the Messiah. This is a fantastic poem, I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeletebeautiful beautiful and hard Grace Im a Christian and Catholic but I think ALL thesew you say.
ReplyDeleteI think HE is in the poors in the sad people and many more.
And Francisco make me believe again dear really . He is the most alike Jesus I saw the last times (how Madre Teresa and others) thanjs for this!! xo
An interesting write Grace. Well done. >KB
ReplyDeletethis made me think of the disciples that walked with him all the way to (can't remember) and didn't recognize him... could happen to us as well me thinks... cool use of the words grace
ReplyDeleteOr maybe the messiah is all of them, some need to see one face and others another, what saves one may not be an acceptable salvation for another. Have a wonderful day looking.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have seen some of these messiahs. We have one who rides around in a multi-colored car & yells through a bullhorn about the importance of being saved. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI love where you took this... we overlook so many without seeing them as people, and who knows if we overlook even more. Great ending.
ReplyDeleteFabulous way to take these words. I don't usually extract stanzas, but this third one could stand on its own as well as fit in here, and is an extra gem.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, Grace! I like the questions you asked and the portraits you drew. I do wonder whether we would/will recognize the Messiah.
ReplyDeleteThere's a messiah in everyone... we just have to take time to see; also, hopefully the person is open-minded enough to realize it... very touching write
ReplyDeleteI loved the last line - it's a perfect ending to this glorious piece. And no, there's nothing wrong with talking to yourself - it's the only way to get a sane answer! :)
ReplyDeleteAs I'm reading your poem. I picture reciting this amazing poem at an open mic poetry lounge. Excellent! and well written poem. :)
ReplyDeletenice modern day scene you made for us... loved the detail in discription
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I have had these thoughts myself...Love it!
ReplyDeleteGrace I like where you went with this as you set the scene. Would we know the messiah if we saw him???? This leaves me pondering..perhaps, he is the beggar one never knows.
ReplyDeleteYes, Grace...this is perfection...I love the way you've woven these words into cathedral and street you've given messiah a many faceted face...this is a gorgeous poem.
ReplyDelete"Are you the old man muttering to himself" wonderful as is everything before and after it.
ReplyDeleteBeggar,
ReplyDeleteIf you come across the Messiah, please let me know.
Touche! Take a bow for this one Grace.
Love the Rock lyrics: /what if God were one of us? Just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home?/ This poem is both epic & personal; enjoyed the spiritual challenge, the proposals, the choices;
ReplyDeletenice job; excellent rendering poetically.
Enjoyed this one ...we have to find that messiah..:))
ReplyDeleteOh wow an excellent poem, some days you do wonder where he is... really well done.
ReplyDeleteI love the scene you painted here with these beautiful words. I don't think many of us would recognize him because we probably have these preconceived notions in our head of what he would look like.
ReplyDeletemany congratulations for the publications.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!.....if everybody could think so....loved this...
ReplyDeleteI love this! You wove the words from the list seamlessly into something beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe yearnings for survival and salvation. Searching for the savior the Messiah in form or in emotional support. Is the aim in many of us. Great write Grace!
ReplyDeleteHank
Excellent poem Grace...one of my favourites!
ReplyDeleteExcellent Grace. This is perfect. Be on guard for no one knows when He will return... nor what he looks like.
ReplyDeleteThis was beautiful with many visuals for me.
ReplyDeleteThis is very beautiful Grace. Would we know him? I often wonder. A poem I will always treasure.
ReplyDelete"Would I know you?" I think that is such a great question to ask...wonderful poem Grace.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful message.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite part: "shadows hovering, ambivalent of dove's return"
oh wow! I am blown away by this, Grace. Indeed, shall we recognize the Messiah when He is once more physically in our midst?
ReplyDelete"If you come across the Messiah..." a powerful line to cap off an equally powerful poem
ReplyDelete