The Poet

The Poet

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Ash Wednesday by Ron Porter ©2012

bloodied angel, you
cut off you wings
and took me to hide
in a room
with a number on the door

give me a sermon
you requested, commanded
demanded, beseeched
and i paced the room and preached

are you trying to punish me?
you asked
blinking through tears
standing in your eyes

my only defense
explanation, dissertation
was if you ask me for truth
i 'll tell no lies

i played music for you
on my CD boombox
and you hid me
covered me, loved me, gave
me joy and sorrow so sweet

i don't want to share you
with the world
you said. i said
don't worry, the world doesn't want me
and we went out to eat.

we talked and smiled
for a while
in the crowd, then
we came back to hide

you gave up chocolate for Lenten
a small sacrifice
because, bloodied angel in black,
you'd already relinquished your wings.