It was like an earthquake when it happened;
his soul dropping into the flayed flesh
with a thump.
————————-
He lay shocked by the immanence of the bloodied corpse
the frigid flesh and the cold of the darkling tomb.
He fought to move fingers
and lifted his head, scarred by thorns
and saw the fissures and flaws
created by sword and whip
and nails and strangulation.
—————–
A beating blood pulsing heart;
a breath filled breast and
each beat battering his pain filled
feeble frame.
——————
He felt the stirring of the breeze
through the open doorway, ruffling
his hair and warming his strength, sapped
muscles and stiffened scars which
crack open as he crawls on all fours
to the wall where he pulled
himself to his nail holed feet.
——————–
The stone wall shifted under his hands
but angels assisted,
while he shuffled his feet and a
groan echoed the grave.
———————-
Leaving the hallowed space
heaving his body across
the blinded garden, he moved more
freely each step of his naked self.
————————
He leaned against the hand worn
wood; opened the door and took from
a hook a handyman’s robe,
and wore its wealth of
hard work and harvests.
——————–
The light grew as if from him.
——————–
Resting for a moment he thought
to pray, but hurrying footsteps
raised his head
as his women exclaimed,
dropped their baskets and bolted,
panicked by an angel’s words.
———————
He knew he could trust her as she
returned to the stones. Peter and
John running ahead of her
and then, leaving her to weep alone,
as they rushed off to ratify her report.
———————–
He rose, unsteady still,
slowly strolled over to her,
watched her stoop into the grave
twisting around as she heard his gait.
——————-
He looked at her and spoke his first words
‘Woman, Why are you weeping?’
Faithful Mary, asking
for his body back with tears
strewn on a grief shadowed face.
———————–
This was the moment, for which angels
waited with wondering eyes,
bowed knees to the one who overcame.
——————
His body and soul united uttered ‘Mary.”
His love filled voice opened her eyes.
“Teacher!’
she reaching, he stepped back
from human embracing
til he would be in union again.
He longed to hug and hold
but knew resurrection was
not something for possession
but for giving gratefully
and speaking release to his leader
said ,
“Go,
and
tell.’
