March 10–16 ❘ Thou Shalt Forgive All

Mar 10

Thou Shalt Forgive All

It seems unfair to hold me
to this standard: You forgive
whom you will, but I must let go
of everything. You call me like Peter

to walk on shifting water
when you know my little faith
isn’t net enough to catch me.
I must sink and drown

unless you pull me up, frame me
with a set of training wheels to hold
my judgment upright as I learn
to love your fallen children—

unless you offer palliative,
analgesic balm, daily reminder
not to scratch at scabs
that must be left alone to heal—

unless you clear away these chits
and IOUs I’ve heaped up like a miser
to make room in my broken heart
for what I ought to feel.

March 17–23 ❘ Song of the Heart