Thursday, April 09, 2009

Bleeding Limbs

Walking home from school
early morning still
past another house
a birch, a sapling,
by the edge of their yard, the sidewalk
the clear sap, large droplets
hanging heavy from bleeding limbs
three, maybe four, glistening arms
crying out, for the lack of understanding
the thoughtless cruelty
the arms pierced, broken without care

Like the arms of Christ, lifted up, pierced by the nails
the tears of pain, the blood he shed
thoughtless children, then as now
not knowing what they had done
and, like the branches, new life
even in the dying
renewal by the giver of all
the creator by His plan, by His design

Tears sparkling in the morning sun
like his sweat in Gethsemane
reminding me of his suffering
and of our hope,
in the grace of God

====
edited December 17, 2015
Bleeding Limbs – v5
(merging edits to version 2 and version 4)
edited July 21, 2015
Bleeding Limbs – v4
(editing original)
edited February 2, 2015
Bleeding Limbs – v3
(editing version 2 and version 1)
new February 2, 2015
winter birches
edited December 17, 2015
summer birches – v6
(editing original)
edited October 15, 2015
summer birches – v5
(editing original)
edited February 16, 2015
summer birches – v4
(merging edits to version 2 and original)
drafted February 11, 2015
edited February 10, 2015
summer birches – v3
(merging edits to version 2 and original)
edited February 2, 2015
summer birches – v2
about Mile Marker 213
Edinburg, ME
driving in Rte 95 southbound in northern Maine
new poem July 18, 2014
summer birches
driving in Rte 95 southbound in northern Maine
edited June 30, 2014
Bleeding Limbs – v2
April 9, 2009
Bleeding Limbs
Maundy Thursday
on the way home from Pembroke Village School
Maple and Prospect Streets
Suncook, NH

All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,380+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

birch trees, blood, branches, child, Christ, cross, dew, Easter, Faith, Gethsemane, God, Good Friday, grace, Messiah, UMC, prayer, sacrifice, savior, schools, tears,


#birch #trees #blood #branches #child #Christ #cross #dew #Faith #Gethsemane #God #grace #Messiah #UMC #prayer #sacrifice #savior #schools #tears

1 comment:

PeacefulWmn9 said...

What beautiful use of metaphor.

Karen