September 19th

“’You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.’” Matthew 5:13

grief is a bitter dish,
a mixture of the dust of loss
and those tears which overflow
every measuring spoon we try.
so
remind us that when you
mention we are salt, it is not
to preserve our sorrow,
but so we might taste
the flavor of your hope
in the sting of sudden weeping,
we might have the silence
of our empty hearts seasoned
with your compassion,
in the ache which dulls our senses
we might still taste the sweet
promise of your Light,
and we will always know
that even if we are
still only salt,
we are yours,
sprinkled on the world
as we bear witness to love.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman