Breath

 

The essential otherness,
named by many as God,
having been credited with the creative endeavour,
generosity and love
out of which the planet is born and renewed,
once breathed life into the nostrils
of a figure sculpted from earth’s dust;
or so the ancient story tells us.
A man called Jesus,
sometimes designated child of God
and touched wildly by the spirit,
once re-enacted that mythical event;
at least according to another,
slightly less-ancient, narrative.
Coming unexpectedly
among a group of frightened and uncertain friends,
he pursed his lips
and blew gently upon their puzzled faces
with his spirit-breath invitation:
to live generously,
to love with passion, and,
drawing upon their reserves
of courage, grace and vulnerability,
to address the planet’s plaintive plea
for justice, hope and peace.

Or to at least make a start.


© Ken Rookes 2014