Monday, April 14, 2014

The Goodness of the Lord

Despite the kiss of April sun on fevered skin,
I shuffle through the corner drugstore's sliding door
in a winter flu fog. I stuff juice and chicken soup cans
into my tiny cart and wander past an island of tall Easter lilies
beside little bags of red hot popcorn.
"Fine, thanks," I lie to the guy running the register,
but he guesses, somehow, between my voice and my soup.
"Aw, you're sick," he commiserates.
One of his hands doesn't work so well, and it takes a minute
for him to hand me change: "Feel better soon!"

Later, it snows again, cold clumps descending
through the trees' pink-tipped fingers
and covering recently hopeful lawns with white shag.
In my newly recalled weakness, I find
surprising cheer in the sight--
Holy Week bends toward these dichotomies,
the cracked and broken, the snows and flues,
and the market air so full of lilies.

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful. I hope you feel better soon and are able to enjoy Easter Sunday in a place that feels good to be there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Newell! And thank you for your wonderful comments--they are very encouraging. I hope to catch up on my replies.

      Delete
  2. I'm very, very late in finding this - and so sorry to see that you've been ill. I would sure love it if you had a subscription option somewhere on your blog(s), cuz I'd like to read them regularly. If you add such an option, please let me know, okay? dtrautwein at gmail dot com.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, diana! That's an excellent suggestion. I'll try to add the feature and let you know.

      Delete