fifty-seven

“Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,

    and bring righteousness to the ground!” Amos 5:7

when we would turn

justice

into a simple house plant

that we forget to water;

when we would treat

kindness

as if it is something

to be vaccinated against

before it spreads too fast;

when we would trip

compassion

as it is runs toward

the vulnerable, rather than away;

when we would imagine

denying

ourselves a few sweets

for a few weeks compares

to those faltering footsteps

on the road to Jerusalem,

your tears turn to ashes,

Broken God,

so that you can mark us,

claim us, call us,

hope for us to discover

the meaning of this

holy, uncompromising season

which will shatter our souls

so they can be put back together

by your grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman