no one is more beautiful than you.
and if you would let me
i would cradle your face
— so carefully —
in my carpenter's hands,
and study each line,
each contour,
each and
every
engraving
like a map,
drawn by the ancient ones,
that charts the course
from this world
to the next.
there is no need for spring
when the tender-throated one is near.
one rose from His garden
is more than enough.
so gather your loved ones close.
He is with us now.
lion-hearted
but born among the cattle.
even kings
must learn to kneel
before they can rise.
