December 8th

“’Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,’” Revelation 1:7a

we lie on our backs
gazing at the clouds,
hoping we can be the first
to catch a glimpse of you
starting your gentle glide to us,
but perhaps
we should be noticing
the person sitting on the steps
with the weather-worn and
stained-from-rejection military jacket,
hoping someone might buy
him a meal or a room for the night.
or watch the teenagers who refuse
to let the powerful use their mates
as scapegoats to justify their fears,
their prejudices, their self-righteous
piety which makes them faith superheroes.
we spend so much time
longing to see you as
a star falling out of the sky,
that we cannot see you
among us, even if you stuck out
your grace and tripped us.


© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman