Release to Abstraction (Or, Poem from a Sermon)
Father speaks of a home yet
to come. Praise is continual
sacrifice—I dream of Isaac
on the mountaintop, Abraham
knowing He would provide, but
did He? Of course—us children
of the light bringer follow
our pain into dark valleys and wonder
why it adopts us. We listen, Father says,
so we can hear God listening back.
If salvation flooded the streets,
would we drown, or float, weightless,
in the storm of what is sacred and chosen?
Father defines holiness as being set
apart, but then, the Lord must be lonely
amongst creation—just a field
of mockingbirds and warped
mirrors—speaking only in whispers
to the oathbreakers.
6 thoughts on "Release to Abstraction (Or, Poem from a Sermon)"
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Love this, Ariana. I have always struggled with the story of Abraham and Isaac on the mountain. Seems a cruel thing for a loving God to ask.
Gorgeous piece!
the ending gave me shivers
Wow! Loved “If salvation flooded the streets,/would we drown, or float, weightless,/in the storm of what is sacred and chosen?”
Ari!!! Your religious imagery is always so amazing!
“Father defines holiness as being set
apart, but then, the Lord must be lonely
amongst creation”
Love this line especially, but the whole poem immensely