October 11th

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

if i spellbound the masses
with words which painted pictures
as original as Dali or Kahlo,
but love was not the palette i held,
they would disappear like
chalk drawings in a rainstorm.
if i could offer their tomorrows
to everyone who wondered
what lay ahead of them,
but withheld the love which
they hoped for the most,
they would want to step
back into yesterday.
if i could offer, not just
whatever wealth i have, but
my very being to bring life
to those on edge of despair,
but left love in my back pocket
the transaction would be worthless.
so teach me, Brother Jesus,
not the grammar of greatness,
but the one mother tongue
known to every single person—
love.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman