Poem: Good and Evil

 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.