Good and Evil
I saw the Devil walking through the forest,
his hands bloodless,
long fingers
extended
his face set
in a glare of impotent hatred
fixed before the first tree grew on earth,
his eyes forward
searching, searching, searching
for one more victim
to destroy a little while, to curse, to
escape, to
deny
a little while
until caught in the blinding light
have I seen human faces like his?
has not my face been set also, in just this way,
have not my hands been extended?
but my face was not fixed, nor were my arms
set forever
when the light caught me, when it blinded me, when it
plunged me into darkness
it could heal, and not consume
there is little difference between he and I, except
that when the light came for me, when it blinded me, when it
took away all my power, made me forever weak, forever in the power
of another
I could turn my face towards the light,
and hold it in the heart, and in the will, so that
it was mine forever
my hatred of the light
could be devoured by fire
and the desires of my heart
separated out, a bloody business,
great tearing, cutting, amputations,
one after another, until
my heart beat in the midst of everlasting flame
not defiant, obedient
I was darkness, but
I could still become light
this is the only difference between he and I, the only difference
between me and all the damned
surely there are others like him, walking the streets, the narrow hallways, the
gilded boulevards, gliding
down the endless road
men with faces fixed in impotent rage, their hands extended
to destroy and to deny
for a little while
surely they are like me, and I am like them
surely we are like the devil
but
surely, they too can be saved
if you will plunge them into the darkness
at the heart of your light
and burn them until they become yours
if I can be saved, then surely
they also, however fixed their faces, however
broken their hearts, however full their hands
of empty efforts
surely you can save them also, my Lord
I am still in darkness, but surely your light is within my heart
I can extinguish it if I wish, I can fix my face
forever
in denial
but my Lord, I do not fear it, because I have seen your light
have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner
have mercy upon us all, do not permit us
to remain as we are
I saw the Lord walking through the forest,
his hands were bleeding, with unhealed wounds
stretching to embrace
his face fixed in the last agony of love
the last look of a dying man
his eyes emptied of tears,
searching, searching, searching
for those whom he would save
you have so little time, my Lord,
to save us all
so little time
to suffer and die
lead me through the forest, let me follow close behind you,
the wounds in my hands bleeding, unhealed,
my eyes dropping tears,
searching, searching, searching
for those whom you would save
Amen.
