Haiku of goodbye
Nearing the finish
Jesus dines at Bethany
with his dearest friends.
They make him welcome;
Martha, Lazarus, Mary.
A fellowship meal.
A pound of pure nard,
costly perfume; Mary spills
it over his feet.
Fragrance fills the air.
Mary touches feet with love,
wipes them with her hair.
There are objections.
This perfume could have been sold;
money for the poor!
Jesus agrees, It
could have been sold for the poor;
but it’s not wasted.
A gift for my death,
my burial. It comes soon;
do not chastise her.
The poor will remain
to test your loving. But I
won’t always be here.
© Ken Rookes
