Denise Bennett
According to Joseph
All winter I had worked,
planting flowers,
seeding the soil,
preparing the cave—
but after Calvary nothing mattered.
It was late and raining
when we finally got him in—
the cave sweetened, strewn
with laurel leaves.
We prised the briars from his brow,
I found fresh linen
to bind his broken body—
All winter I had worked,
planting flowers,
seeding the soil,
preparing the cave—
but after Calvary nothing mattered.
It was late and raining
when we finally got him in—
the cave sweetened, strewn
with laurel leaves.
We prised the briars from his brow,
I found fresh linen
to bind his broken body—
we made sure we placed him
east to west so that he could rise
facing the dawn;
then we left Mary, his mother
alone with him, to her second labour.
Later, when she was quiet
when we’d slid the stone
we saw it—a Purple Emperor.
His strong iridescent wings
caught in the folds of her gown.
planting flowers,
seeding the soil,
preparing the cave—
but after Calvary nothing mattered.
It was late and raining
when we finally got him in—
the cave sweetened, strewn
with laurel leaves.
We prised the briars from his brow,
I found fresh linen
to bind his broken body—
All winter I had worked,
planting flowers,
seeding the soil,
preparing the cave—
but after Calvary nothing mattered.
It was late and raining
when we finally got him in—
the cave sweetened, strewn
with laurel leaves.
We prised the briars from his brow,
I found fresh linen
to bind his broken body—
we made sure we placed him
east to west so that he could rise
facing the dawn;
then we left Mary, his mother
alone with him, to her second labour.
Later, when she was quiet
when we’d slid the stone
we saw it—a Purple Emperor.
His strong iridescent wings
caught in the folds of her gown.
Page(s) 35
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