Limbs

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. . . For Christ plays in ten thousand places, 
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his 
To the Father through the features of men’s faces. 
—Gerard Manley Hopkins 

            With her weak left hand 
            Rachel measured the mandrakes 
            For Jacob’s tea. 

            But we must pass over, 
            From point of pain to point of pain, 
            From frail left to mighty right wing. 

Each with her deception: 
Mother Sarah loosed Ishmael, 
Mother Rebekah Esau, 
Mother Rachael her sister’s sons. 

            But for us there is no loosening. 
            The pain must penetrate, enter the palm, 
            Break through to open sky. 
            No dalliance. No half measures. 

Later the Children 
Went a whoring after strange gods 
And kings. 

            For us no such carefree ostentation. 
            We raise the hand in greeting, 
            But no one sees the hidden scar. 

The schoolmaster instructed them 
How to walk and where to turn 
And on what days. 

            But for us no prodding, no penalty prescribed 
            Only the double sureness 
            As, welding arms at points of pain, 
            We bring each other forward 

            Till, standing in the mist, 
            Wrestling, like Jacob his angel, 
            With cut, disjointed knee, 
            We fall and . . . 

By the ram’s horn 
The walls of Jericho were leveled 
And never again the same. 

            . . . face the One 
            And, brought to embrace, 
            Find the words and calmly smile. 

            Because we did not please that world too much with us
            But in our constant reaching, our strangeness and solitude,
            Took his path. . . 

A crooked path made straight. 

            . . .and bore his pain. 

            Now, linked together, sealed, 
            A seemless garment, 
            Clasped by those who love us, 
            No longer strangers, 

            We bear his many names— 
            Counselor, Prince of Peace, 
             Brother, Son, Omniscient Father, 
            Author of fathomless Light and Love— 

“And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, 
Or, to return from following after thee: 
For whither thou goest I will go.” 

            And find both him and them 
            Our natural Home.