Violence

Christian Century, Nov 21, 2001 by Terence Y. Mullins

Some subtle violence devised a cross
and hardy violence brought down a tree,
trimmed it, discarding branches as debris,
leaves as intruding trash, and bark as floss.
More expert violence removed each boss;
competent violence was paid a fee
to cut it in a long and short degree
to hold the human weight of human loss.

The tender violence of just reward
for brutal violence, the complex surge
of human need and human disregard
drives human hope to sin in human ways.

Grace pours its wounded mercy from above,
the sacred violence of tortured love.