I was given a seed OR the difficult recipe for fruit

Revision, January 28, 2021

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

one seed
one death
a prospect of new life
of new mornings from fresh mourning
if first, I make it through good-bye

–through this night, through

this winter
past this future I remember
past this future’s cooling embers.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, I asked Him,
can it rise again?

Like a thunderbird, won’t You make rain pour down
and turn this barren land to bear that fruit
of all I’d hoped could be?

And God answered me.

He said: My dear, can these bones live?

I asked this same question of Ezekiel
in the valley years ago.
‘O Lord God, you know,’ my servant answered me,
and death to life, I sowed.

I am the God that harvests where no, I did not plant.
I am the God of dead bones rising,
I am God Almighty,
omnipotent. And

–it may be his heart will change.
And that yours may well change too.

No matter what the future holds, remember: I hold you.
And you hold this seed
of all you’ve seen and known and learned between you two.
This germ is yours to plant, to grow and bear the life I hope for you.

So, rest your eyes and rest your mind, and
lay this seed to rest here too.
I hope that you might trust me, dear.
Please, won’t you let me transform you?

my seed’s
one death–
a prospect of new life
of fresh mercies with new mornings
if first, I make it through this night

Copyright © 2021 A.M. Wilsonne

Behind the Revision

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Original poem published November 18th, 2020

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

Two seeds
Two deaths
Two chances for new life
Two mournings toward two mornings
if first, she makes it through this night

–this winter
the looks of a lifeless stump
the future she remembers
a future’s cooling embers

like a phoenix from ashes?! she asks Him,
can it rise again?
like a thunderbird, won’t You make rain fall
and turn this barren land to bear that fruit?
…of all I’d hoped could be?

And God answered:

Son of man, can these bones live? I asked Ezekiel
in the valley years ago
O Lord God, you know, my servant answered
and death to life, I sowed

I am the God that harvests, where no, I did not plant.
I am the God of dead bones rising.
I am the God of never-spent.

Maybe dear, his heart will change.
But maybe yours will too.

Let this seed I gave you die then
to bear the life I hope for you.

Let these seeds I gave you die, dear.
Close your eyes, dear.
Please, let me transform you.

—

Two seeds
Two deaths
Two chances for new life
Two mournings toward two mornings
if first, she makes it through the night.

Copyright © 2021 A.M. Wilsonne