opinion: a view from under the pew: amos on easter

amos on easter

boss it s here exclamation

point the greatest time of

the year - easter -

it s the time for lilies

green grass little bunnies

and chicks multicolored

eggs and bright butterflies

symbols of brand-new lives

in jesus the messiah

sometimes though boss

i wonder what that

first easter must have

been like you know what

those bible characters

really felt and thought -

and how we might have

acted in their place

would we have understood

his act of grace or would

we instead have sought

to save face question mark

boss i went to bed in my

matchbox last night musing

over what it might have

been like as a beduoin

mouse in jesus day

and immediately the

sandman dumped a

whole truck load on

me and i drifted into

a dreamland of dusty

arabic deserts where

i was trudging my way

into jerusalem

just as i neared the

outskirts of the city

it seemed as if all of

creation was coming

alive in mourning

tears flowed from

cracks in disjointed

rocks making wet

tracks in the dirt

flowers closed their

blooms and grapes

and pomegranates

bowed their fruitful

heads in shame

a weeping willow

sobbed uncontrollably

beside the road

what s the matter

says i what s caused

you so to cry

why haven t you

heard says she all

about black friday

the day the darkness

ruled over the sun

at noon the day the

earth quaked the

rocks broke the

thunder roared and

the lord spoke

where on earth were

you - in kalamazoo

no i don t think

so says i but tell

me why all these

wonders on the land

and in the sky

the rose of sharon has

died she replied and

there s no place to

hide so all we ve

done is cried and

cried and cried and

cried

i still don t understand

says i who s the rose

of sharon and why

did he die

she said he s the

rose of love sent

from the lord above

in him dwelt the

beauty of flowers

everywhere he was

the fairest of ten

thousand anywhere

he was perfect said

she he radiated glory

peace life and victory

but why oh why

said i did such a

great rose die

he was despised and

rejected of plants

there were those who

wished to kill him

and dance on his

grave and just leave

him for the ants

but again said i

why

a sad lily nearby

offered me this reply

his beauty angered

the thornbushes and

thistles said she

compared to him

their glory was turned

to ugly through

hot-tempered jealousy

and green-leafed envy

yes that s right said

the sorrowful willow

they tore at his green

leaves they pierced his

peaceful petals lashed

at his lithe stem plucked

his life up by the

roots strapped him

to a stake and

hung him out

to dry - and die -

then the willow began

to wail and the

lily began to lament

oh he s gone she

mourned and cried

he s nowhere around

his life-juices poured

out on barren unfeeling

ground

wait said a flit

flashing by

now what was that

said i

just me said barry

the bumblebee but

listen i ve got some news

that ll set you free

you see i ve been

talking to the marigold

planted next to the garden

tomb and she told

me that the rose of

sharon is alive and

whole in fact he s touched

her and brought new life

to her soul

oh joy he s alive

the weeping willow sang

he s alive the lily

trumpeted the refrain

he s alive to live

forevermore buzzed barry

by his death he buried

death in the deepest sea

and by his life he lives

to set his flowers free

by then boss we were

all shouting hallelujah

hallelu when the sun

peeped through those

stained-glass windows

and glory covered

my little matchbox bed

what a way to wake

to easter boss

amos