sw00697v-20.poem18

Venturings



 An Austin, Texas, Easter


So many bluebonnets Eastering the grounds of the Methodist church we walk past!
softly joyful in the bright coolness of the easy wind.
Up hills and down past houses, apartments, businesses,
our walk of thirty-five minutes to St. Ignatius's
seems lighter for the grace of seeing and remembering and expecting them.

Once we reached our intended church, the flowering crowd amazed us;
but we made our way to the vestibule's eastern side
from where I soon saw its western side was not full;
so I turned, and Janice followed me: out and around the church's front.
Shortly after we re-entered, the choir began to sing the Hosanna.

Then we found some church bulletins, and Janice took one.
The Consecration came and went, though no one in the vestibule kneeled.
Janice and I moseyed and read, and looked about.
At Communion time we decided to participate;
and as we did, a glaze of emotion surprised my eyes.

Returned to the vestibule, we noticed and admired the baptistry
and then how a cavity under the altar recalled for us the empty tomb
and how in the season of His birth could be fixed to recall the birthing cave.
We stayed a little; left.  A mother with her young son approached.
It delighted us--Janice especially--to see that boy all dressed in white.

Later, on our homeward walk, going from Oltorf to Parker Lane,
and by a people-live church of The Latter Day Saints,
we sway again with the gentle hills gardened by the penitence-tinted blue
of the Texas earth's Easter attire the Indian maiden and the blue jays made:
the miracle risings of the silky lupines given the sky to deepen love.



                                                       the above experiences occurred in 1982 /
                                                              not sure when I wrote the poem



-
Brian A. J. Salchert