Elaine_poetry

  Antigua Church Year Poems

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               November 2016

Advent Waiting

     

I have learned to wait, to rest
Knowing the best things come slow
That the celebration is best
After time lets faith grow.
Waiting, watching, wondering,
My heart’s energy spent
In hope. And this same spark
Is lit each week of Advent
Waiting for the final “Hark
The Herald Angels Sing”
And a Hallelujah Chorus
And Let the Bells Ring
As this year’s waiting ends for us.

Emmanuel

     

God’s continuum of grace
Across all nations and peoples
Came to a sharp point
In a small encircled place
And burst, star-like
Out to all the nations
All the peoples
In a lavish explosion
Of grace, sparkling, splashing
In speckled beauty.

At Christmas I want to
Capture the sparkle
And feel the shine
Of grace, the shimmer
Of glory, the sheer
Gosammer of presence.

The Lights in the Valley

     

The lights in the valley,
A camp of candlelight.
I can only imagine
The delicate delight of a child
Seeing them for the first time.

Then, every year, refreshing that memory
Each fall, after the happiness of harvest.
As Israel celebrated her pilgrimage
Joined together at Jerusalem.

Here in Antigua the lights in the valley
Sparkle with red and blue and gold and green
Blown high in the sky at midnight
To celebrate Christ’s birth,
His brilliant entry into our lives.

The lights in the valley
Every year remind me
He is with us.

Epiphany

     

Jesus’ baptism by John
Hangs as a soft, pale tapestry
With a flash of white
In the Cathedral of the Angels.
The Tapestry saints
Along the walls have
Today’s faces woven with the past
Facing forward with us
As the people of God.

This is a moment of mystery
When God bent down,
And received a cleansing
Meant for our smudged souls.
We are confused.
Why does he act as one of us?
Dove falls, Voice calls,
We know
He is us, but more than us.
We take our places in a pew
And look for Him in you.

Easter

     

Most mornings I write down a memory
Of something beautiful
I noticed the day before.
This litany of life
Reminds me daily of creation,
Begun by resurrection
Looking back at recent jottings
I am charmed:
A calf looking plaintively from the back of a pick-up
An orange butterfly
A glittering hummingbird in our garden
Flowers, trees, ruins, bright birds
A flock of blackbirds artistically scattered on the limbs of a huge tree
Clouds draping over the volcano
A full moon through the foliage
Wreaths on lampposts
Candles and lamps in an old garden
Peacock blue flags
The blue on real peacocks.
Life!

Lent’s Reversal

     

Forty days to prepare for resurrection
Is a long tradition.
Noah on the ark,
Moses on the mountain,
Israel, Elijah, and Jesus in the wilderness.
To
Safety
Community
Home
Life.

I like Lent’s reversal
The forty days after resurrection
When Jesus was there but not there
Slipped in and out
Before stepping into heaven.
My Eastertide is
Cheerful waiting in this in between time
When Jesus is here and not here
Slipping in and out of my life
Waiting to take me to
Safety
Community
Home
Life.

A Chain of Angels

     

A chain of angels
Holding hands through the centuries
Brings us here to heaven’s doorstep.
Sitting under the tree with Abraham
Walking up and down stairs with Jacob,
Encouraging Joshua and Gideon,
Preparing Samson’s parents,
Protecting Elisha,
Preparing John’s parents,
Preparing Jesus’ mother,
Calling the shepherds,
Warning Jesus’ father,
Comforting Jesus,
Announcing joy to the women,
Announcing joy to the men,

This chain of angels,
Holding hands through the centuries,
On this Ascension Day
Brings us reverently,
To where we, on tiptoes,
On heaven’s doorstep,
Look through the door.

Pentecost

     

Dear God,
I figure you’re on Facebook
And if the NSA can read my emails,
You can too.
So I’m just wondering
Since you know all languages,
You doubtless see binary as beautiful,
And electronics as elegant.
But I’ve put in several requests
For miracles and all I’m getting
Is that annoying circle
Saying something is buffering.
As we know,
A watched file never downloads.
Oh I know about miracles
Since I’ve already seen a few,
And I know about your love for language
Since I’ve seen that, too.
But couldn’t you please move my requests
A little higher up the queue?

Transfiguration

     

The suns in a peacock’s tail
The sunlight on the bougainvilla
The light seen through pale leaves
Sparkling water in a fountain
Jacaranda trees’ purple splash.
In the light and the color
I almost see
Sunlight pouring from His face.

     











/A/EDE/poetry/Antigua_Church_Year.php       Elaine D Elliott •• 2016 Dec 9 • 2016 Dec 9