The tentmaker

After 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

He sews his tents

as he watches the crowd

in the market square.

They move forward and back,

doing what they’ve come to do:

to buy, to sell, to see, to be seen,

to make money, feed a family,

feed themselves, grasp for more.

To and fro they move

as he sews his tents

and waits, the needle

in his hand suitable

for piercing heavy cloth.

He waits as he considers,

as he watches, considers

that he serves them more

than a tentmaker.

He makes good tents;

the quality is the first attraction.

Talk will come afterward,

but the quality is first.

Photograph by George Hodan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.