Face Shine

Face Shine

(“Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.” Psalm 31:16)

The last thing I expected was such a brain-line
detonation, a shot to the head unfortunately.
Well-read and slightly turbulent, I was less excitable
and more resolute.

I loved my daughter’s flute, my son’s trumpet and the
travels of my middle one and would play all day in easy
harmony, or fly all night to be a part of the foothills
in Guatemala.

I hiked the shore of the Columbia, played tennis and replaced
my shoes every month. Let’s ride and travel,
lets scour the scenes at the beachside al fresco,

Although these days what seems like a blow to my head
leaves me reclining with, cat upon my chest,
longing for sun and water gun wars
outside our cabin in middle Minnesota.

Or on the Pacific
if the sand is warm, let us stay all day;
if the wind is up, let us buy a cup of coffee and watch
the waves play unemployed from dune to frothy evidence
of a higher tide before the sunrise.

And, if I stay inside all day,
let the rays of light fascinate my mind,
Your grace wind around each thought and memory.
Let the tremolo of a ballad’s sustained notes swirl within
and swell with the refrain of chesed,
and repeat the chorus of agape,
so I hear every motion of light bent as
the weight of glory defies all of our specified
particles and theory of waves.