June 14th

"Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.” Song of Songs 8:6

it’s not a burning bush
or a thunderclap on a mountaintop
or even a dove showing up at baptism.
it is more like a love note
we discover in our purse or pocket
that you, God, slip in when we are not looking.
you aren’t necessarily asking for our heart,
but that we make you permanent,
immutable, as if wax pressed
by the Beloved’s ring, or like
love etched on scarred hands.
you remind us that your love
is anything but safe, that
it is stronger than death,
as passionate as what
we feel for our soulmates,
yet you would place it
on our hearts with a butterfly’s kiss,
you would tattoo it on our souls
where it would burn so bright
others can see it as clear as day.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman