For the month of April, I have committed to writing a poem each day. I am not following any stricter rule than that one. Others in the poetry blogging community are doing themed poems. You can see everything that’s going on at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
On Monday, my young student Jacob wrote an acrostic poem on the word faith. He was surprised by his own wisdom. I told him that I think there is a whirl of ideas in the universe and he was open for it.
Finding
An
Invitation
to
Hope
Thinking about Jacob’s inspiring poem and the ideas from the universe, I felt a pull to write a found poem from Bishop Jake’s blog post from Sunday. Jake Owensby is the Bishop of the Western Louisiana Episcopal Diocese. He writes beautifully at Looking for God in Messy Places about how to live a life of love and hope. His post this week “Dry Bones and Living Flesh” inspired this poem.
Dry Bones
uprooted
nothing familiar
fleeing home
to stay alive
they leave behind
bonesEzekiel had a vision
of those very dry bones.
The victors leave
the dead in an open grave,
a goldmine
of artifacts.This was personal.
The baker’s daughter
he knew by her fragrance of yeast,
the grandmother rocking her grandchild,
the old stooped mason.War is always the same.
Death, senseless, helpless
“collateral damage” No, this was personal-
husbands, wives, siblings, grandchildren.Homes left in ruins,
People without community,
Dry bones
watered with survivor’s tears.God takes these bones
clothes them
gives them breath.
God promises
through us
to be a new home
for the exiled.
Hear the call.–Margaret Simon
Your found poem takes my breath away. Now I need to explore your bishop’s site. And Jacob’s acrostic is exquisite! Please tell him that our world needs more young people like him.
That is a terrific acrostic. Good job, Jacob! Your poem is very poignant, especially so this morning after the chemical attack in Idlib.
Both poems touched my heart. Thank you!
Margaret, thank you for these beautiful words. I’m deeply grateful to have played some small role in kindling your imagination. It does my heart good to walk the Gospel way with you.
OH, Margaret! My heat is touched. I have always found solace in Ezekiel’s passage, but I will forever read it with a heart that makes it more contemporary. I must check out your Bishop’s site. And Jacob’s poem is a very bright star that will guide us to hope.
My OLW for this year is FAITH. Could you please tell Jacob that I loved his acrostic and it’s just what I needed to read today?
Jacob’s acrostic is indeed inspiring, five little words, fill us with a good message. Your poem is full of sorrow, then also hope, Margaret.
“Dry bones
watered with survivor’s tears.”
Sp powerful. Thank you for this and the source.
Such powerful words in your poem Margaret, I hope we can still home some of these war-bewilderred souls. Your students poem is wonderful!
Margaret, your poem is heartbreaking yet hopeful. I’m glad you paired it with Jacob’s simple reminder of the potent power of faith. Thank you for sharing it with us.