November 18th

“Death will be no more;
    mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
    for the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

when the last shadow stops following us,
the ache in the back releases it’s grip,
then—
soft as that first morning’s breath—
a hush will fall, and those quiet promises
we had forgotten will embrace us.
no waxed jacket of sorrow,
no quicksand of grief in our path,
those tears which grew heavier
each long night will be held
in hands which know our every grief.
fractured hearts will be mended,
the bitter wine of despair
turned into the water of life,
and our weary world will let out a breath
as those things which were a priority
disappear.
and where
light will never fade,
joy will teach us to slow dance,
and hope will hum the tune,
we will learn the music of God’s forever,
as we are cradled in that peace
we only ever caught a glimpse of
out of the corner of our eyes
before death slunk away in defeat.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman