WAKING UP
Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
A Poem by Hannah Sanders
You were my waking up, shaking
my shoulders till I came to,
the pungent shock
burning through
every idealistic thought,
amplifying my worst fears—
The other shoe always drops.
You were my loss
of innocence, your cold
hands dashed the cup of hope
from my lips.
But loss of innocence is not a gift
to be treasured,
nor a lesson to be learned;
it was the first lie,
the first theft.
He restores the years
the locust have eaten,
pours the oil of gladness
which makes my face radiant
without shame;
my eyes will look up
to sparkle again,
and I will laugh without fear.
I will open my heart
to let joy dwell within,
overflowing
between where I stand
and the horizon,
the dipping sun
bathing my world
warm and golden.
What a mystery it is—
the Body of Christ is blessed
to be broken and shared
and in sharing made whole.
I kneel at the altar, my hands cupped
to receive the Eucharist
with thanksgiving,
the wine-dipped wafer
dissolving into a river within.
Hannah Sanders is a follower of Christ, wife, mom, teacher, artist and writer. She loves all things book-ish, afternoon tea, and is happiest in the mountains and when surrounded by tall trees. Her art, prose, and poetry have been featured by the Brazos Valley Arts Council, The Way Back to Ourselves journal, and Calla Press Publications among others. @hannahsanders.art is her little corner on Instagram.
