Our Greatest Gift

It’s unlikely I’ll be loved by another
no, not in the flesh…
as I want to be loved now…
I’ve ruined those chances;
made terrible mistakes,
that God has forgiven…
but those I hurt continue to relive…
and remember…
trapped in a moment of time…
when they felt betrayed.

I can’t blame them.
Such consequences are the fallout after the bomb…
saturating the heart, soul and mind of those who suffered…
believing themselves to be above the cloud and dust…
but finding themselves below…
where the poison settled…
burning…
stripping…
raping…
not the physical vestments,
but the emotional.

I wish it was easy, but
it isn’t.
We’re staggered by the jolt…
and seek to find our solace in silent, brutal revolt…
pushing back…
never more to take the chance.
I understand.
Such vulnerability requires great faith…
trust…
beyond what any human is capable…
but…
maybe someday…
Oh, God, if it were only tomorrow…
then, perhaps, we could learn
where mercy is given…
as you’ve shown me my Lord.
It is the greatest;
most loving gift we can give another…
not for any selfish reason, but…
because of You…
and an old, rugged cross.

Millpond Poetry, 2016