abstract image by edith lüthi, on Pixabay, modified
Pouring Salt
Jesus said:
“You are the salt of the earth.” (from Matthew 5:13)
I.
But if saltiness loses its flavor, how will we stay seasoned?
How will we keep from being tasteless? How will we avoid
becoming distasteful to others?
II.
Every living thing needs salt to keep on living. Deer nestle
near salt blocks, and people settle by salt springs where beauty
grows. Roman soldiers got partly paid in salt, using salarium
to season their dinner, clean their brass, draw out infection,
preserve food. Salt softens the hardest water and melts ice.
III.
Your blood, your sweat, your tears come highly seasoned
with salt, and so does everyone else’s. Remember this bond
with all living creatures—even oceans and estuaries—and,
we shall be tenderly seasoned.
Scripture references: Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50, and Luke 14:34
*
Illumination
The light
from the refrigerator door
overcomes the darkened floor
where I’ve been walking,
and I remind myself,
light shall always extinguish
darkness and prevail.
A gnawing—awakened
in the crest of my breastbone—
arrested me
from an unsound sleep.
Nothing sounds
but my husband’s breathing
in a far corner of the house.
Nothing sounds good enough
to eat at four a.m.
I fumble with the plastic wrap
on a flattened slice of cheese,
trying to be quiet and wondering why
a tightly capped cola went all flat.
A troubling conversation
comes back to keep me in poor company,
and the gnawing deepens, darkens,
waiting to distinguish
something not yet extinguished
by the revealing
Light.
_________________________
Mary Harwell Sayler began writing poems in childhood but, as an adult,
wrote almost everything except poetry. Eventually, she’s published over
three dozen books in all genres including books of poems, devotionals,
and prayers. She also provides resources for poets and writers on her
website: https://marypoet.wixsite.com/website
February 2025 issue
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