Ten Dancing Girls

 

Haiku of preparedness

He tells a story.

How to enter the kingdom:

make no assumptions!

They carried their lamps

these bridesmaids, ready to dance

the groom to the feast.

No invitations,

their danced welcome should suffice

to gain them entry.

Waiting in the street.

Where is the groom, he is late/

They sat down and slept.

Of the ten, five brought

spare oil, ready to deal with

any circumstance.

Five were unprepared.

While they were shopping for oil

the bridegroom arrived.

Five girls missed the dance

and also missed the party;

always be prepared.

Keep awake, therefore.

Wakefulness, preparedness,

unremitting love.

© Ken Rookes 2020

On the edges

Haiku of inclusion

On the edges of

Samaria, Galilee,

where nobody goes.

North of Jerus’lem

Jesus meets with outcast men,

unclean, unwanted.

Ten lepers approached.

Keeping their distance they cried,

Have mercy, Master!

Go and show yourselves,

to the priests; they will confirm

that you are made clean.

As they make their way

their skin becomes clean and new.

One man turns around.

The Samaritan

falls rejoicing at his feet.

Jesus, I thank you.

Were not ten made clean?

One, alone, comes praising God;

a Samaritan!

Another surprise;

the foreigner commended

as a man of faith.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Were not ten made clean?

Haiku of gratitude and surprise.

Ah, my friend, Jesus,

you travel to strange places,

sharing hope and love.

In the borderland

ten lepers cry to Jesus:

Have mercy on us!

Cleansing the lepers,

making real the reign of God,

revealing God's truth.

Just this foreigner.

The other nine, where are they?

Were not ten made clean?

Foreigners surprise

when they have more faith than us.

How embarrassing.

A Samaritan

is made the hero once more.

Another strange choice.

© Ken Rookes 2016