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Sunday, April 20, 2014

Poem #20- Grand Canyon


 I'm participating in Mary Lee Hahn's "Our Wonderful World." Today's wonder is the Grand Canyon. Be sure to check Year of Reading today, because more people participated and there are several Grand Canyon poems to read.

It's also Easter. And in my mind, the Grand Canyon is a perfect metaphor for the separation between us and the Abba Father. Because it is such an important day to me, I wanted a really, really good poem. I messed around with several different forms this morning, spent the day with my mom in Colorado Springs, then came back and tried again. 

*******************

"Easter"

About that
deep
deep
chasm
that existed between
Light and Dark
Lovely and Loveless
Holy and Helpless

It isn't there anymore.

Love reached across
Sin's Grandest Canyon.

(C) Carol Wilcox, 2014

********

"Easter"

Years ago
I stood on the rim
of the Grand Canyon
marvelled at multicolored layers
rugged rock formations
shifting shadows
orange red yellow
setting sun

breathtaking beauty

But there is that other
Grand Canyon
layers and layers
of rock hard sin heart
secrets no one
is allowed to know
unmentionable ugliness
dark depravity

breathtaking brokenness

And through that blackness
runs the river of Christ's love
wearing down
wearing down
wearing down
hardest of hearts
by the river
of His enormous love
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2014

************
I also tried a tanka.

"Easter"
Easter. Holy Love
reaches across Grand Canyon
of separation
between His purity and
my absolute impurity
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2014

*******

And a  few haiku…

"Then Came Easter"
Grandest Canyon
between Holiness and sin
and then came Easter

"Easter"
Bridges Grand Canyon
Between His purity and
my depravity

"Gratitude"
So thankful for Grace
that bridged canyon between
Pure heart and dark heart

"Easter"
Easter. When Grace reached
across Grand Canyon between
Holiness and me

************



2 comments:

Amy LV said...

Carol - These are beautiful. I am so grateful to be reading them this morning, the day after Easter in a quiet contemplative house. Such a perfect metaphor. For some reason, these remind me, too, of one of my favorite poems, here - http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poem/item/3359/auto/PRIDE

I hope that you had a beautiful Easter with family and loved ones.

Mary Lee said...

I'm sorry I didn't comment on these right away -- they are all breathtaking. The metaphor of the canyon is perfect for the spiritual abyss. All the different versions and forms are like prayer beads.