Third Thursday of Advent

"The cords of death encompassed me;
     the torrents of perdition assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
     the snares of death confronted me."  Psalm 18:4

you came,

to climb down into

the Pit with us, while

others toss down platitudes

and well-intentioned memes

to show us how much they care.

you came,

to spend however long

it might take to unknot

the strands of grief wrapped

tight around us so, together,

we can knit them into 

warm shawls of remembrance.

you came,

so that when death slowly

tries to squeeze us into

fearful submission, you

rub grace all over us, so 

we can slip out of its grasp.

you came,

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman