Sep 15 | John 8:47-59 (Poem)

⁴⁷Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’

48 The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ ⁴⁹Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. ⁵⁰Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. ⁵¹Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ ⁵²The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” ⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ ⁵⁴Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, ⁵⁵though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ⁵⁷Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ⁵⁹So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

 

in the kettle of the cosmos, bubbles battle

 

back and forth, back and forth

smashing stars

crushing carbon

like blood from a rock, life is squeezed from light

 

i watch and prepare

watch and wait

 

“now, child, now

stir the soup;

take the seeds,

sow some weeds”

 

from the handfuls of mind came one, then two

more for you and me to lose

and love

 

painful as acid in the throat

never to be swallowed, never to be excised

only there burning quietly

in the dark

 

of course i saw him

the one who knew

the one who grew

into a father

a tender

a root within damp earth

a seed for the people

 

unremarkable on its own

 

the truth hurts, don’t it?