Ash Wednesday

"Have mercy on me, O God, 

    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions." Psalm 51:1

smudged with your grace,

have mercy on us, when

we run to the restroom

as soon as the service ends

to try to blot out any sign

to others that we might believe.

made whole by that love

which refuses to let go of us,

have mercy when we think

that all we have to do is

get through the next 40 days

(or is it actually 46?) and 

we will be home free.

when we could leave the

ashes and residue behind

for someone else to clean up,

have mercy on us so we

might carry them with us all

the way to the empty tomb,

to fill it up since death no longer

can hold us in its cold grip.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman