"And He Heard Me"

I.

They never knew what would pull us into whispers

when the learned men would ramble into clouds

of noise

                   but in the after

work we would share our wonder and doubts

why only some dreams could be shouted

and others shouted down

                                                 we knew   our work

was to grow  and clean  and cook  and wait

until

          the work caught us again

 

II.

Then

           he would linger on the road   be found

standing near the well   gently staring

as if his eyes could see my dreams

                                                               as clear

as the sun high and hot

                                              So they said   yes

and my will surrendered beyond my

counted breaths

                                we could stare now

without fear   and walk where

the breeze would lead

 

III.

Then  somehow

he knew to run into the room after my world

had dizzied me  and I fell

                                              into the disrupted dirt

I could not weep

                                I had sung

my promise and saw all the sky bleed red

and gold   and white

                                       He lifted me up  his eyes

lifted me up   his arms lifted me

up into

                a world never until then

conceived

 

He had heard me crying

                                              Yes

and

         nothing more would

matter  wherever my heart

would tremble

                            he would whisper

Yes

       and we could wait

the day

                                                                                     Christmas 2023