a poem for sunday

I wrote this poem for church today. It's a response to today's scripture reading: Exodus Chapter 17, verses 1-7 (the story of Moses finding water from a stone).

water from a stone

in days of dust and longing
feet cracked and dry
from miles of desert
weeks of walking, trusting, carrying a load
of who knows what to who knows where

in nights of restless turning
craving rest, craving peace, craving answers
pondering in the long blank stretches of
darkness
pulled taut as skin near breaking
could it really have been so bad?
are these promises
once robust with rightness
now only hollow dust-shimmer illusions?

heart quarrels
doubt rumbles
replays of story fragments
endings lost in endless re-telling
reason not evident
regret everywhere
regret echoing
feet cracked and dry, accusing
you chose this path
tell us, what now?

heart hardens like sand granules
vision blurs
faith tested
detested
this desert too long and dry to admit hope
heart thirsts for proof of love

* * *

in the pale soft hour of waking
dust of days, agony of nights
cast off like rumpled bedding
dawn touches these feet
tired and cracked with days of walking
God whispers assurance
green fields
fat cattle
children smiling
heart splits again
this time with sweet remembering
a coin in a pocket
a favourite song
the name of an old friend

in days of dry despair
I will be closest to you
heart's quarrels will not displace me
when you push away with all your might
I will hold you most near

tired feet find freshness of the bank
river runs where no river ran before
where rivers have always run

heart and promise reunited
dust of the desert
sluices from between tired toes
tells again the story of love


question: how is the journey going for you?

mompoet - reminded of the river