Without confession

After I John 2:18-27

The shadow rose from the spaces

between us, and left, its leaving

becoming a vacuum of light, allowing

us to see each other clearly,

leaving us with truth to understand

the gift. Denial and its murmur

have departed, an unexpected

unanticipated gift, a gift

that remains. It is food, this gift,

to sustain. It is drink, this gift,

to quench our thirst. It is fire, this gift,

to purify hearts,

sere souls,

heal minds.

Photograph by Pacific Austin via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Clock ticks

After I John 2:18-27

I hear the ticking;

it is the first, or last, sound

I heard when I knew

it was the last hour,

the final bracket of minutes

before the end, or its beginning.

The shadow swept forward

from our midst and went out,

the shadow we did not know

was among us until it left,

as the clock ticked. We looked

at each other, asking the same

questions, what is it, where

did it go, is it coming back,

where do we look, where

do we abide now.

Photograph by Jeanne Rouillard via Unsplash. Used with permission.