Black falls off my fingers.
A dark coat of Truth covers
me, my hands, all dirty. I am
Too messy for this: the sacred
Marking of penitents processing.
Skin rubs skin, black in between
Ash smeared upon holy, oily faces.
The stream keeps moving. I am
like a rock slowing the flow with
redirecting, grounding. I proclaim:
“Remember
you are dust and to dust
you shall return.”
The steady flow of faces, the wisdom of the mantra
moves my solid heart. I remember.
I remember the softball coach
and his sudden death last Spring-
he is now nearly dust in his grave.
I remember my former student killed
on the street and the beauty of his grin.
I remember my grandmother, and an
absence, an aching for sixteen years.
I remember the martyrs of this bold faith.
I remember those marked by blood in death
in Syria, the C.A.R., Ukraine, Venezuela, Iraq,
Afghanistan. I remember that they’re me.
The stream keeps moving. I am
like a rock slowing the flow with
redirecting, grounding. I proclaim:
“Remember
you are dust and to dust
you shall return.”
Black falls off my fingers.
A dark coat of Truth covers
me, my hands, all dirty. I am
Too messy for this.
Repent.
6 comments
Wow Julia….very moving!!!
Thank you Kathy! It seems that God showed up to help me write, again! 😉
Love your reflection, Julia. I too was ash distributor here —my first time!
I love it, Julia. It is great that you are using your creative gifts so well. Linda M. just told me you are going to the Cities for a presentation tomorrow! Great. And that NPR is going to have you writing for them. It’s your caring heart and open eyes and mind that fuel the things you write.
Blessings on you always! Nina
Thanks Nina! No I won’t be writing for NPR, but for a website called Global Sisters Report… in a few months from now. God is so good!
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