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The Line For Ashes
Line is long and moving slowly:
Step by step, the high and lowly,
Halt and limber, shorter, taller,
Young and elder, greater, smaller,
Plainer, fairer, pallor, color,
Father, daughter, mother, brother
Creeping toward the mark of dead then
Signed across an offered head, an
Ember from some laudatory
Burnt to earth, an emblem of some
Somber story… coming glory.
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Joseph Stuart is a lawyer living and practicing in Northern Virginia. He maintains a blog here: https://mightyinditers.typepad.com/hereunder/
This is a wonderful depiction of the Ash Wednesday event, Joseph. And I think it is made more powerful and poignant by its brevity. “Signed upon an offered head” is my favorite, very insightfully-expressed phrase. And, as short as it is, you’ve left room to bring the poem to a climax in the last several lines.
I truly appreciate this poem, Joseph. That’s always an “outlier” case, in which I am actually glad to be in a long queue.
In addition to the things Cynthia mentioned, I really love the pairings (younger/elder, fairer/plainer, etc.). And the last two lines conclude with great power, I feel.
Great job on this!
This is a lesson of inclusion like the sacrament of communion. Regardless of status, wealth or fame, we are all alike in Christ’s name.
Thank you for this great poem! Allegra
Beautifully done, Joseph. The poem briefly yet thoroughly depicts the universality of the human condition, with its common need for offering penance. Also, because the persons are in line to receive ashes, it indicates that the ritual is one an individual cannot undertake for himself or herself, but requires both community to receive and hierarchy to perform. An excellent and thoughtful picture of the Church in one of her multifarious actions helping humankind.