so fine

I cannot fathom how you manage to dig so deep

and come up with jewels

which you offer so freely

when you would be forgiven

for grabbing fistfuls

of mud

I look at the trenches you have had to dig

simply to survive

and i gasp for air

get dizzy with vertigo

just looking

The slender thread that is,

the silken tightrope that floats

the surface of a raindrop that reflects -

all these and more cannot come close

to the fragility and yet the resilience of love

that you show me over and over

you open yourself wide

invite me to share the shelter

that you dug with bare hands

until your finger nails came away

until the sweat threatened to flood the earth

and

i

hesitate

i

fear

to tread

where

angels

rest

i

am

not

worthy

and

yet

i

hear

whispered

liltingly

in

my

ear

those

old, incense-infused

Roman words

i

am

not

worthy

to

receive

you

but

only

say

the

word

and

i

shall

be

healed.

and

i

listen

and

i

hear

and

i

begin

to

understand

                to follow

                one

                another

                is

                to

                follow

                the Christ

i step in

and bathe

in

the

warm

mesmerising

pool

that

is

the blending

of

our

souls.