John 15:1-8

 Every line in his face

in wandering arcs

tells of a story

marked in time

a story of life

not always easy

and a time

we wished

would not have to have been

back then

before we reached that threshold

beyond which

we dared not to venture

 

Each line

now marks the focus

of grandchildren on his knee

hanging on every word

silence

and look

that tells with joy

and thankfulness

of when we stepped

beyond our comfort

a time

when we stepped into fear

with only the hand of Christ

to keep us from falling back

a time

without which

life would lose its meaning

its life