BY AVELLINA BALESTRI

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”—John 12:32, KJV

***

And so it returns:

The afternoon of emptiness,

When the holy water is drained

And the heart of Christ gushes forth.

Yes, the great emptiness,

As God abandons His temple

And the sanctuary lamp is dimmed.

Darkness falls over the land,

And the world groans for redemption.

This is the way of weeping,

Our Via Dolorosa.

We walk along in silence,

For words can hold no sway

When God forsakes God,

And His garments are gambled away.

We breathe, but barely,

As He gasps upon the tree,

Our sinful signpost

That cries out: “We are gods!”

Yes, we have tasted that fruit,

And its poison has spread.

Now another fruit hangs,

Peerless and perpetual,

For us to grasp,

And in doing so, be divinized.

We must eat it—flesh and blood,

Or have no life in us.

It is a cold spring,

Bitter the wind in our face

And the crimson rain in puddles.

The lambs are bleating,

Waiting for their sacrifice,

But the birds have forgotten their song,

And the sun shrinks to a star.

Sin and salvation kiss

In this crushing eclipse.

What we could not bear is now borne;

What we could not tear is now torn.

The emptiness will fill us,

Just as every emptiness is filled.

The sparrow that falls,

And the tower that crumbles;

The bellies that hunger,

And the blessed who mourn…

All reside in the Death of God,

The heart that is pierced,

And the apple, transfixed.

This is the drama of clay,

And the passion of the flood,

Bread cast over the waters,

Breathed upon and broken,

Like Christ upon the ground,

Sweating and sorrowing.

The pelican offers blood;

The bridegroom brings the wine.

Lo, the seams are bursting,

And the chicks take their nourishment!

This is something old

That has never happened before;

This is something new

From the world’s foundation,

That God is sent to Hell,

And sets His fire there.

Love keeps it burning

As the chains are melted down.

Feel the earthquake

In all its groaning glory!

Rise up, rise up!

Roll back the stone!

This is a chamber for secret lovers:

A ravished garden tomb!

Our King comes forth from the slaughter!

Our Victor is stretched o’er the gap!

Yes, we will dwell in the emptiness,

And on the other side of sorrow,

Be filled with joy!