Ancestors

by Jeffrey Essmann | October 14, 2020 12:04 am

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This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Retinna Bell.                                                                                                                                        

ANCESTORS
Hebrews 11:36-40

the world couldn’t see
the fog of angels
surrounding those precious souls
like an ever-present aroma.

it couldn’t see
the favorable movement of the clouds, the sea,
the behavior of plankton,
the respiration of redwoods,
the untold number of events
at any moment
all connected to every precious step
of their bare feet,
as if the universe was strung to them
by angel hairs.

what the world saw was the sheepskin attire,
the penniless hands gleaning the fields
in both sun and rain,
the habitation of caves
and pillows of rock.
what the eyes of the world beheld
was the absence of physical extravagance.

the world had no idea
that it was not even worthy
to behold them.

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Retinna Bell has been creating language-driven works of expression since childhood. During the day, she helps children with special needs to realize their abilities. She spends most of her time in Brevard County, Florida, where she watches rockets blasting off into space from her front yard. Her debut poetry collection, petals, is available at Amazon.

Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2020/10/poetry-ancestors/

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