That day, on the mount, He opened 
His mouth
And taught them.
All they needed, wandering children,
Were ears.

I cannot grasp even His
First point, because my poverty is
Total.
And blessedness begins with the
Reckoning that
My soul has no assets,
So He sits down. He opens His mouth and
Teaches. Me.

All I need, all I need,
Are ears. And all that ears imply.
But still, just ears.

He walks me through the lesson,
That gentle thread of redirection,
That patient instruction running counter to
My rebel yell.
Coaching, coaxing,
“Look at Me.
I am the lesson.”

~

Matthew 5:1
” . . . he went up on the mountain, and
when he sat down . . .he opened his mouth
and taught them.”

What I was trying to say is that deep
In the week, miles out from Sunday’s
Lesson, it is hard to remember
To be a peacemaker,
To be pure in heart,
To mourn sin,
Because
I forget, even while carrying
The Word in my hands, that
Blessings follow hard on the heels
Of lowliness and lead to higher humility
Like laces back and forth up a tennis shoe.

“Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

~