Lenten Devotional, Day 34: Poem for Widowed & Bereaved

Dear Saints,

The Scriptures for Monday are Psalm 143, 1 Kings 17:17–24, Acts 20:7-12.

Another small offering in one way, but thought much of those whose child slept too soon. I love that God's Word calls death sleep — not as a euphemism — because in light of the resurrection that is what it really is! "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13...18).

WIDOWED & BEREAVED (stave of six)

Forbear I am a widow who has laid

Her child down from bosom to a grave.

'Til wailing hush to echo by nightshade,

Perforce in Rachel's choir—but willing slave.

Beseeched, awash, that you'd prefigure Day—

O rock-a-bye, 'til all stones roll away!

Notes:

•A Stave of six is a stanza rhyming ababcc.  Often the quatrain poses a problem/tension resolved by the couplet.

•Meditation on Lenten readings: 1 Kings 17:17–24 and Acts 20:7–12.  In these cases the child came back to prefigure the resurrection.  But thought of so many miscarriages, still births, child deaths and the now resultant empty arms.  How some of my sisters (and brothers) keep living makes them a marvel to me.

•"Nightshade" is a deadly plant.  Meant to symbolize death by loss, by a broken heart.  Yet, that wail of bereavement lives on as echo in death.

•Alludes Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:17–18, Genesis 37:35, 44:25; 2 Samuel 12:16; Psalm 16:10; Daniel 6:17; Ezekiel 37:12; Matthew 27:52; Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 26:19, Hebrews 11:35.

•(c)2026, +IMCOOK27/Poetry27, all rights reserved.

•s.D.g.

The Only Best in/is Christ,

tIM