I wrote one for a friend who died too soon. This may not show up right away, as I just posted it on Snapfish. Sometimes it takes a while for them to catch up.
In case it doesn't, here's the text. It's supposed to array in the shape of a tree, but SI doesn't have a centering format.
THE SEASON BEFORE SPRING
Said
a voice,
the voice that speaks
to all at birth,
“The kingdom of Heaven
shall open
“but all who enter must learn a secret.”
“One mystery shall be to this child:
“How does a tree grow?”
And all
through his life he strived
to solve the enigma, the untold, unrevealed.
He studied
each tree until he knew its shape,
he studied them as they formed into a forest,
he patterned his life after them.
he wrote formulary
as a sacrament, and his work was read far and wide.
Every year in
the season just before spring
God asked, “How does a tree grow?” And every year He replied,
“I don’t know yet.”
Each year the trees
laid down a broad band of exuberant spring growth.
Each year they forged the narrow band of strong summer growth.
After the trees,
he laid down a broad band of love and compassion
And the narrow band, the strength of his character, rose toward the sky.
In the season just before spring God always asked,
“How does a tree grow?”
And he always answered, though he knew more than almost anyone,
“I don’t know yet.”
The seasons passed one by one and as they passed the trees grew a little taller,
While he quietly followed, band on band, branch on branch, leaf on leaf.
God asked again at the appointed time,
“How does a tree grow?”
And he said,
“I don’t know yet,
“I’m not ready yet,
“But I’ll tell you this:
“A tree grows as
“ a miracle.”
“…Come in, my son.
“Well done, well done.” -- For my friend, Don Demars |
