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Fear is the opposite of Love, so how do we live through this fearful time with Love?
I read an article from Time magazine that helped. The Bible does not turn away from fear. God’s word embraces the fear in us and replaces it with love. N.T. Wright says that we should turn to Psalms. Within the Psalms, God grieves with us. The psalmist draws us into the lament so that we are comforted by the connection, person to person.
The point of lament, woven thus into the fabric of the biblical tradition, is not just that it’s an outlet for our frustration, sorrow, loneliness and sheer inability to understand what is happening or why. The mystery of the biblical story is that God also laments.
N.T.Wright
I turned to Psalm 22 which typically we read on Maundy Thursday as the altar is stripped. As a congregation, we won’t be reading together this year. Yet, the lament is more real now than ever before.
The poetry prompt from Ethical ELA by Glenda Funk is to write a Blitz poem. I felt this form would work for a psalm-like poem based on Psalm 22.
Forsake me
Margaret Simon, draft
Forsake my words
My words roar
My words cry
Cry in the day
Cry at night
Night is holy
Night I trust
Trust our God
Trust deliverance
Deliverance from evil
Deliverance from scorn
Scorned people
Scorned me
I am a worm
I am a child
A child in my mother’s womb
A child on my mother’s breast
My mother’s breast comforts
My mother’s breast gives hope
Hope is a garment
Hope is far from me
Far as a raging lion
Far as help
Help my soul
Help my darling
My darling hears me
My darling calls my name
My name praises
My name vows
Vows of worship
Vows of my heart
My heart loves
My heart seeks
Seeks food
Seeks a seed
A seed serves
A seed is planted
Planted in the soil
Planted in praise
Praise for a kingdom come
Praise for a will be done
Done to us
Done for us
We see salvation
We declare righteousness
Righteousness of God’s world
Righteousness to those born
Born of God’s hands
Righteous to live and love
Reflections on the Teche 
Woah. This form does lend really well to a lament. What a beautiful stream of lament from beginning with forsake but ending with love. Love always wins…even if we don’t get to see that in the short term. Impressive take on the prompt, Margaret!
It took me a while to craft this. What a challenge! Thanks for your support.
The blitz poem – breathtaking. Stark and full of power. It feels like a cry in “the dark night of the soul” and a reaching God-ward in trust. So beautiful – in every line and as a whole. Ruth wrote on lament today too, mentioning Psalm 22, and I am always fascinated by how ideas fall over us in blankets this way.
Margaret: What a challenge! I have never seen this type of poem before, but I can see it would be tricky. Good job with this one… I especially like the promise that God laments with us…God with us in our lamenting. Thanks so much. Visit me at https://kceastlund.blogspot.com/2020/04/spiritual-journey-solace-during.html
Margaret, this is an amazing poem that unfolds in a stream of consciousness writing all tied together with precision. The lament is beautifully woven reminiscent of Old Testament pieces. Hope is a garment is a line that pops out at me. While it may be far away, it is the promise of the Saviour. It is a beautiful piece to read before sleep. Today’s Spiritual Journey Thursday is filled with inspiration.
I linked to that same N.T. Wright article in my Thursday post! I love your blitz poem. Thanks so much for this post. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com