Piercing the Thickening Blue

Piercing the Thickening Blue

(“He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.” Psalm 9:8)

I heard the drumbeat calling the warriors of peace
to the front steps of the palace, to the courtrooms of the mighty.
I heard the trumpets announce liberty to the captives,
from the back alleys of the cities to the wheat fields basking.
I saw the lights shine piercing the thickening blue,
I heard the voice of thunder that never slandered, for a day,
the convictions that love was still the way.
I’ve known how words can stain the most
beautiful visage, the prettiest panorama, and I hoped
like hope does when darkness threatens, that the
morning would bring a change of venue, a renewing
of the mind.

If we could repaint the stenciled rules, black on white stone;
if we could rehearse the lines taught by the truest mime,
maybe we will hear the call to think it all out again.
Maybe we will motion the people in back to come up higher,
to take a seat where their splendor shines.
If we sat with the refugee,
if we ate with the immigrant,
if we walked with the exiles,
if we sang with the prisoners until every chain
was broken,
we could parade past the courthouse and fly the flags of
freedom

Higher than any national banner upon a stainless steel
mast.