He saw in one instant-illumined

Darkness all around, darkness surrounding without and within

He gripped the wall, choking through the darkness

and in one instant, saw illumined before his mind's eyes her face

the face of one who by Galilee

washed and wove, and flattened bread

nursed, comforted, held and tread

the threshing floor of Nazareth

and quietly bore a child doomed for death,

that saved might be the cursed children of her race

the kind, worn face, of her who wrought---

through hard obedience, and toil, and sweat on cold, hard ground

through repeated sacrifice on sacrifice after two pauper's doves

---a crude clay lamp, able to be lit with fire,

Into her small, worn, woman's hands was given,

That which prophets longed to glimpse, wise could not see,

for which mystics climbed the highest peaks, begging heaven--

--and into her hands, into her womb was placed, this holy mystery

Fire of heaven, a baby's suckling mouth, blinding the seraphim, a child's cry for life---

and poor, unwed, unexpected, unbidden

her hands were open to receive

This terrible, helpless, awe-full gift of heaven,

from Him who sits enthroned between the cherubim

She lifted up her life, offering up that which was not hers yet hers to give,

till she offers back up to the One who gave the gift given

One who wrote the stars and set the sun and grew within her womb,

now--

opening her hands once again,

opened to lose, to loose, to return to heaven the awe-full gift

now--

beloved familiar child-grown-man

offered up to Him seated between the cherubim

whom the angels must veil their face,

And cry out "glory" with hosts and seraphim,

Now murdered,

mauled, bloodied, flesh torn by the children of men

a sacrifice

Those hands, opened to receive to offer--

the most awefull mystery

the most precious baby

the most bloody sacrifice

--Now molded, purified, fired, refined,

a hollow lamp,hollowed out to be filled with the oil

Burning with the flame of Heaven.

He gripped the wall again, and breathed, and breath filled his lungs--

A simple crude clay lamp able to be lit with Fire

And the light of that Fire shall burn away the darkness of the world