Poem August 18, 2008 Issue

in a word

Barbara Fay Wiese

"Let there be light." And there was light.
Life, consciousness, being;
The earth and seas, all living creatures, male and female:
Creation accomplished with the quietness of a word,
With the authority of the Word,
All complete and all pronounced "very good."

But Adam, the man-of-dust Adam,
Shudders, "I heard thy voice ... and I was afraid."
Not so John, the beloved, who—loving the Word—understood:
"Perfect love casteth out fear."

Or the child Samuel, who—observant, reliable—
In transparent clarity tingled the ears of all lsrael
With unquestionable Truth, the quiet Word.
Samuel, throughout a life of purity, answered,
"Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

And Elijah on the mount, mighty in his childlike trust,
Heard the Word and followed.
Elijah, the childheart,
Answered the accusations of Ahab, the self-made man,
"I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house,
that ye have forsaken" ... the Word.

John, the steadfast, taught by the Master, unafraid.
John, the testifier, chosen to reveal, obeyed:
"Behold, I make all things new. ... Write: for these words are
true and faithful."

—Barbara Fay Wiese

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