Ash Wednesday

Turning away, turn away,

great emptying of

quotidian concerns

from the holy vessel,

with mysterious ashen

foreheads of women

heading west on

51st Street, coming

from St. Patrick’s

On Fifth Avenue

Turning away, turn away!

In the great changes

of history from Old Testament

sackcloth to baptismal

glories, transforming itself

during deathly days of middle ages

into penitance, what have we done,

What have we done?

Forty days of contemplations

and renunciations, turning

from outside to inside,

from emptiness to

great beseechings for

fulfillment,

to be filled like

empty vases

with great nectars

of resurrection.

10 comments

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  1. … to be FP during this time, please feel free to demote.

    For those who observe, a good day to you and may your contemplations and prayers be mighty and true.

  2. your poems are inspiring. As a visual artist your words make pictures as well as word thoughts. I gather you are from NY? It’s hard to tell as we communicate here so unhooked from geography. Small wonder you were a lyricist. I try not to analyze art as I freakin hate critics so I’ll stop and just absorb. Thanks      

    • pfiore8 on February 6, 2008 at 22:55

    the imagery: Old Testament sackcloth

    and this is a great line… from emptiness to great beseechings for fulfillment

  3. …a real poet.  wonderful poem. Thx!

    • kj on February 8, 2008 at 18:48

    to be filled like

    empty vases

    with great nectars

    of resurrection.

    thank you.  

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