Epiphany One Way or Another
For you it
might be a magic light
appearing in the beckoning western sky
you follow it despite the peril and ridiculous cosmology
find what you were looking for in a backwater town
and rejoice in your bones that for a moment
you were breathless with holy hope
and then when a dream tells you to turn left at Jerusalem
you turn left and never look back or reappear or question
but still, you found it, you felt it, you lucky star-gazing fool
For me it was a slow mystery emerging from darkness
a sliver of silver working its way through
the hairline cracks of my life –
my father’s young death and the family shuffling
the unfulfilled longings of home and stable ground
my mother's short cobbled path and leaving me a 28-year-old orphan
the broken promises I can never unbreak
my sons’ beautiful and unbearable limited reality
the day I found our cat dead and bloated under the deck
the midlife falling into bottomless blackness
and the unforeseen and unknown father’s strong catch
and then, emerging like Venus through January clouds,
the Epiphany, the star, the shining that only comes in the night
appearing in the beckoning western sky
you follow it despite the peril and ridiculous cosmology
find what you were looking for in a backwater town
and rejoice in your bones that for a moment
you were breathless with holy hope
and then when a dream tells you to turn left at Jerusalem
you turn left and never look back or reappear or question
but still, you found it, you felt it, you lucky star-gazing fool
For me it was a slow mystery emerging from darkness
a sliver of silver working its way through
the hairline cracks of my life –
my father’s young death and the family shuffling
the unfulfilled longings of home and stable ground
my mother's short cobbled path and leaving me a 28-year-old orphan
the broken promises I can never unbreak
my sons’ beautiful and unbearable limited reality
the day I found our cat dead and bloated under the deck
the midlife falling into bottomless blackness
and the unforeseen and unknown father’s strong catch
and then, emerging like Venus through January clouds,
the Epiphany, the star, the shining that only comes in the night
Michael,
ReplyDeleteJust letting you know that as I mentioned, I read this peace at my church on Sunday. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing your writing gifts.
I blog a little too, if you want to look
www.backsofleaves.com
Michael, it's me again, still in Fort Worth and planning to ready this wonderful piece again. I last wrote you in January 2013, but I'm pretty sure I read it last year too. Hope all is well for you. I have a daughter in Austin--great city!
ReplyDeleteMike, this level of transparency hits hard for one who loves you. Until now I could hold your formative experiences "at arms length". But no more. What a powerful testament to God's saving grace! Thank you for both images of the Light. The first is a familiar, hopeful one. The second strikes a deep chord, also familiar, of heartfelt gratitude. Again, I thank you.
ReplyDelete