Poem January 8, 1996 Issue

"Be ye ... wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"*

Nancy L. Holder

The wily serpent, finding that his skin
is now an outgrown, worn-out sheath,
simply shrugs it off
and moves on, free in the new one
already right there underneath.

And I'm beginning to realize
how unwise it is to cling to
yesterday's already outdated ways
of neutralizing evil's claims, as if
a formula one continually resorts to.

Those waymarks aren't cosy places to rest on,
but to use as steppingstones of encouragement
to press on beyond today's laser-dominated view,
to glimpse the true
light of divine Spirit,
whose allness denies
presence to evil's night
in any guise.

*Matthew 10:16.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Respect for spiritual healing