Wednesday, March 16, 2016

How I Spent Good Friday...

For Thursday, March 17, 2016

A-Poem-a-Day
Until Resurrection Sunday


THE BLACK BRONCO

Good Friday, 2002

Discontented
sad, somewhat guilty…
Usually I’d have found time
in the afternoon
to sit meditatively
and ponder the significance
of this day
Sometimes I wrote poems
or sat quietly in a church
I might have listened
to a radio preacher
or just sung, soulfully
about the house
that old, haunting hymn chorus
“Oh, how it causes me
to tremble…tremble…tremble”

Eased into the day, holy
with a long, tepid bath
and a little book
about six miracles of Calvary –
Began contemplating the darkness
that fell upon the land
for three hours

but after that
the cares of this world
sent me scurrying helter-skelter
scrubbing the kitchen floor
returning curtains to JC Penney
grocery shopping for Easter dinner
Any meaningful reflections faded
in my slide from Mary to Martha

Returning from an errand, edgy
I was stopped at a light
on Union Boulevard
Don’t know what kind of a car
was in front of me
but in front of that car
was a black Bronco

On back of the Bronco
black on black was
the Crucifixion
Jesus, dying
in utter darkness
His head bent
shoulders thrust forward
like so many paintings I’ve seen

What was this?

After a moment, I realized
it was merely a reflection—
a silhouette cast by the shadow
of a telephone pole
and street lamp…
But it seemed real

I looked at the clock
It was 2:45

I drive up and down
Union Boulevard
day after day
year after year
but it was this day
this hour
this moment of need
He chose
to show me
yet again
all He did

for me


Maude Carolan

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