Far Enough Away

Far Enough Away

“The Lord is merciful and righteous. Our God is compassionate.” Psalm 116:5

Spun far outside my tribal galaxy
I’d like a slice of dopamine
please.

I don’t know why, but someone noted that
we deserve nothing from the divine. Without mercy,
without compassion,
we are assigned only a fiery brine.

I reject that notion outright. Right-out loud now.

Far enough away to recognize the echoes from decades
of ingrown notions, my mind spins at those once close
who love the dictates concerning shithole nations, women’s faces
bleeding,
and blaspheming the life of Christ in wanderers who come to us
like Mary and Joseph journeyed to Egypt.
(notice, I have no ellipses.)

And while we leave them like fanciful dung,
there is a God who “lifts the needy from the garbage heap.”

There is sun for your face, beloved.
There are kisses of love.
There is fog, but blue above.
There is new for you in the circle that
embraces everything.

But some lap up mercy like milk,
and beg for more after the dishes are washed and dried.
Then refuse it those orbiting outside, beyond the walls,
beyond the rules and laws we write to control how many
falls we are allowed;
then, I fear, right out loud, the cupboard is empty and
the bowl is quite broken.

There are bluebirds for your ears, beloved.
There are waltzes of love.
There is fear, but mercy above.
There are myriads and myriads
around the throne
who speak a language never known.

And the kingdom will come (on earth as in heaven)
when we stop sanctifying gravity
and learn the lesson of unholy leaven.