That was an age of calloused disbelief:
Zechariah goes mute as angels sing,
Herod’s sullen rage spurs parental grief,
And the divine is birthed to suffering.
The glory and gloom of this middle way
Accommodates garish thrones, manger beds.
Intimates the shadow of Judgement Day
And the darkling passage that leads to lauds.
Post-pandemic, anxiety bedecks
The grace-haven of broken paradise,
Reveals what our calloused age keenly lacks:
A love made visible through sacrifice.
For Christ is the light that we dimly see
In the sublime dark of our misery.
“The people who dwell in darkness have seen a great light” -Isaiah 9:2
From Zecharia to Post-Pandemic anxiety, this is a powerful poem and a fine start to Advent.
Jim Meals
Powerful indeed and I find myself really chewing over every line. Clinging to the light of Christ.
Tension is masterfully crafted in each stanza by the use of opposites such as mute-sing and throne-manger bed. Release is offered in the final three lines; love through sacrifice, and Christ is the light.
Thank you, well done. Al