Rise

Help me rise with you

from the depths of death’s darkness,

from the fiery pits of hell,

past the dirt and mud,

the cold solid stone,

the fog, the clouds, the rain.

Help me rise with you

past the anger, hurt and pain,

past the lust and greed and sorrow,

past the conflict, blood, and razor wire,

the faces kindling hate

through television screens,

Help me rise with you

past depression and anguish,

past loneliness and heartache,

the shadows of the unlit night,

the broken bones and slashed sides,

the crowns of thorns we all hide.

Help me rise with you

into the morning sky,

past the atmosphere,

through the vacuum of space

like a rocket or a comet

hurtling towards the sun.

Help me shine with you

like the sun’s luminous rays

through trees and leaves and windows

with the light that feeds flowers,

gives life to living things,

love to the loveless

and hope to the hopeless.

Happy Easter

4/9/23