Epiph-anarchy; or, Strait Is the Gate, and Narrow Is the Way, Which Leadeth unto Life,

When you have been to see the Christ Child,
you nevermore can walk familiar paths—
those well-worn roads that wend to-ward Jerusalem.

What need of old paths anyway
after having laid down your wealth
cradleside of the newborn (no) king (but Christ)?

It is not true that all roads lead to Rome.
Some lead down to Egypt, others up to Golgotha.
Be not deceived by Herod or by Constantine—
even yet by Donald Trump.
For empire goes by many names,
but when it cannot co-opt
the gospel for its nationalism,
it cuts down innocents instead.

STFU; or, How to Be an Ally

The silence of Zechariah
makes space for

Elizabeth

to speak—

not that she needs

permission,

but that Zechariah

need not speak

and mansplain her own miracle

like Eli had once done to Hannah.

It is only after Elizabeth speaks

that Mary sings!

only after Elizabeth speaks

that let-it-be-with-me

becomes my-soul-magnifies!

Creatio ex Autos

For Ruth

I could invent 

a satisfying argument

about the Trinity and perichoresis

(swirling about in its holy dance)

or could build

a convincing thesis

out of the imago Dei

(how your creation reflects God)

but the simple truth

when I say,

God likes to spin

just like you,

my precious one,

is that

it is you

who leads me

in this holy dance,

and that

it is you

in whom I see

reflections of myself.

All my words

find new meaning when

I watch you spin

just like God Almighty,

who set the world in motion.