ash wednesday

remember you are ashes

   of dreams unfulfilled,

   of loves burnt in passion,

   of sepia-coated photos in our minds;

remember you are dust

   of stars which exploded

      light-years away,

   of words uttered so long ago,

   of fears hiding under our bed;

remember you are God’s,

who mixes all the ashes

of our failed promises

to be more faithful

         more just

         more loving

with the dust we

have shaken from our feet

as we took our own paths,

using them to mark

the Godhead on this

pilgrimage of trust.

remember,

you are remembered

by God

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman