Saturday, July 20, 2013

on staying


He said ludicrous things.
Stories and snippets and zingers,
ludicrous and beautiful.
Seeds, pearls, yeast, trees.
Trash heaps and teeth gnashing
and kingdoms.
Everyone was there.
Women around the bread oven,
fisherman and farmers
merchants
whores
rich men
rulers.
And then the deal breaker.
Flesh and blood, a feast.
They all heard him, the madman.
They heard him, and most of them
did what any sane person ought to do.
They turned around,
and wandered home to the alleys,
across the fields,
back to their boats and palaces
and undisturbed consciences.

A few stayed.
As crazy as he was, I suppose,
but they trusted him.
Years later, with their crops long failed
and their fishing nets rotted through,
they ate flesh, drank blood.
They dined on redemption
like kings at the table.
They caught glimpses,
and saw within themselves
seeds, pearls, yeast, trees.
Kingdoms.

(inspired by John 6:53-69)