Bleeding Limbs – v6

Walking home from school

early morning still, before 8am

quiet, walking past another house,

A birch, a sapling, drawing my attention,

by the edge of their yard, the sidewalk

the clear sap, pearls, large droplets

hanging heavy, bleeding limbs;

Three, maybe four, glistening arms

crying out, for the lack of understanding

thoughtless cruelty, senseless mayhem,

arms pierced, broken without care.

Like the arms of Christ Jesus, lifted up,

hanging, pierced by the nails, the spikes,

tears of pain, the blood He shed for our sin;

Thoughtless children, then as now,

not knowing what they had done

like the branches, new life

even in the dying, the giving, the blood

We are renewed by the Giver of all

the Creator by His plan, by His design.

God’s tears sparkling in the morning sunlight

like Christ’s sweat in the garden, Gethsemane;

My  image in the droplets, falling

reminding me of Christ’s suffering

and of our hope, the promise, eternal,

in the Spirit’s whisper to us

in the grace of our God.

====

edited February 1, 2019

Bleeding Limbs – v6

(merging edits to original and version 5)

edited December 17, 2015

Bleeding Limbs – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/12/bleeding-limbs-v5.html

(merging edits to version 2 and version 4)

edited July 21, 2015

Bleeding Limbs – v4

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/07/bleeding-limbs-v4.html

(editing original)

edited February 2, 2015

Bleeding Limbs – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/bleeding-limbs-v3.html

(editing version 2 and version 1)

new February 2, 2015

winter birches

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/winter-birches.html

edited December 17, 2015

summer birches – v6

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/12/summer-birches-v6.html

(editing original)

edited October 15, 2015

summer birches – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/10/summer-birches-v5.html

(editing original)

edited February 16, 2015

summer birches – v4

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/summer-birches-v4.html

(merging edits to version 2 and original)

drafted February 11, 2015

edited February 10, 2015

summer birches – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/summer-birches-v3.html

(merging edits to version 2 and original)

edited February 2, 2015

summer birches – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/summer-birches-v2.html

about Mile Marker 213

Edinburg, ME

driving in Rte 95 southbound in northern Maine

new poem July 18, 2014

summer birches

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/07/summer-birches.html

driving in Rte 95 southbound in northern Maine

edited June 30, 2014

Bleeding Limbs – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/bleeding-limbs-v2.html

April 9, 2009

Bleeding Limbs

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/04/bleeding-limbs.html

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,

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