Sunday, October 30, 2016

It Doesn't Look Like Anybody's Treasure...

Photo credit: borntoblaze.org









THIS OLD BIBLE

It’s not one of those expensive
gold edged, leather bound volumes
Its margins are filled
with scrawled notations
gleaned from personal revelations
and years of teaching
under Jonathan and Wayne
There are yellow highlights
asterisks, exclamation points, arrows
underlines, sometimes double underlines
sometimes double underlines in red ink
There are little line drawings, dates
Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic
transliterations, translations
prayers copied on blank pages in front
prayer cards tucked in its pages
bookmarks, tracts
a few notes and letters
Its pages have lost their brightness
from handling and caressing
they’ve absorbed tears
illuminated joys
There are jagged pen slips
from dozing
many index labels have fallen off
Its spine has been repaired
again and again
It doesn’t look like anybody’s treasure

When I pass on
there might be a little money
property, some poems
There might be a few pieces
of inexpensive jewelry
You’ll rummage through
the way we did when Grandpa died
when lots of things were thrown in dumpsters
lots of things were divided up and given away
You may be tempted to toss this book
but, no, no, I know you’ll know
this old battered Bible
is the most valuable possession
I’ll leave behind


Maude Carolan               

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