Tuesday, March 13, 2007

When he came (1)

Too busy with the non-leisurely life of academe to post about my course as soon as I'd planned, but meanwhile, here is one of my favorite poems by Dorothee Soelle (German spelling Sölle), which I have read and shared for (akh! am I that old?) three decades now in many settings.

When he came [a series of ten poems]

1.

He needs you
that's all there is to it
without you he's left hanging
goes up in dachau's smoke
is sugar and spice in the baker's hands
gets revalued in the next stock market crash
he's consumed and blown away
used up
without you

Help him
that's what faith is
he can't bring it about
his kingdom
couldn't then couldn't later can't now
not any rate without you
and that is his irresistible appeal



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