Wooden
Woman takes in a long breath.
Woman takes in a long breath.
This is
where she takes off her shoes.
where she takes off her shoes.
Between the
toes of Engineers boots and hers
toes of Engineers boots and hers
it’s dusty.
Long hairs have migrated
Long hairs have migrated
under the
shoe tree and merged with
shoe tree and merged with
grey-coated
carpet. Wooden Woman remembers
carpet. Wooden Woman remembers
house dust
is mostly skin, cells shed like snow.
is mostly skin, cells shed like snow.
Within
seven years every cell is replaced.
seven years every cell is replaced.
Constant
renewal. Yet we grow old. Her toe snags
renewal. Yet we grow old. Her toe snags
a bag
of almost-ready-to-give-away
clothes,
clothes,
past
indulgences one could almost forget,
indulgences one could almost forget,
but not
quite.
quite.
The dirty things
and
and
hanging
things whisper the lingering scent
things whisper the lingering scent
of sweat
and perfume,
and perfume,
the truth
and the cover.
and the cover.
Go into your closet and pray.
Wooden
Woman is a literalist.
Woman is a literalist.
And a
closet figurative -ist.
closet figurative -ist.
She closes
the door and
the door and
thinks
about Holy God
about Holy God
kind of
like a first and last name.
like a first and last name.
What does
your name mean?
your name mean?
Wooden
Woman means Graceful Lily.
Woman means Graceful Lily.
Graceful
Lily is laughing
Lily is laughing
unable to
conjure a face to go with Holy,
conjure a face to go with Holy,
feels like: All heads down.
Mustn’t
peek,
peek,
even in a dark closet
with the
door closed. Wooden Woman
door closed. Wooden Woman
presses her
palms against her eyes,
palms against her eyes,
bits of
light whirl and sift.
light whirl and sift.
Wooden
Woman imagines this as an entry
Woman imagines this as an entry
into
eternity,
eternity,
shoe boxes
and shelves, walls
and shelves, walls
fall away
and openness reels outward,
and openness reels outward,
gathering
yesterdays and calling tomorrow,
yesterdays and calling tomorrow,
the way the
strike
strike
of a church
bell
bell
announces
beginnings and ends
beginnings and ends
and endless calling of the name…
Holy. Holy Holy
and there
seems nothing else
seems nothing else
worth
saying
saying
so she chimes
in
in
Holy Holy
Holy and Holy
Holy and Holy
Holy
And she
understands sorrow
understands sorrow
because she
is not
is not
Holy
or even holy
and the
closet is her cover.
closet is her cover.
And
comfort. For a long long time…
comfort. For a long long time…
was it
time, or just being
time, or just being
with I AM?
She rises,
takes what
she imagines to be
she imagines to be
the hand
of he who
drove her home
drove her home
on a dark
night,
night,
turns the
palm up and places a kiss.
palm up and places a kiss.
She opens
the door with…
the door with…
…thank you.
*
After a few steps she pauses,
shivers… and
looks back… nah, nothing there…
looks back… nah, nothing there…
…“Surely goodness and mercy will follow you…”
–Psalm 23:6
I am a holy closet literalist as well
one of the places I approach the wholly holy throne of grace
in all my wholly unholiness
because of the precious blood of the Lamb
my name means different things
depending on who you ask
and what language they speak
in the Gaelic ~ she who lives on the edge of the meadow
in Hebrew ~ God wholly holy says (the word chunk of His Name
is actually there, "EL")
and then there is the word chunk for mine
I am my Beloved's and He is MINE…"
if you ask an Englishman he would say without hesitation ~
little shell ~ protector of life
One of my missions in life
is to find out what people's names mean for them
I have found it to be an explanation,
a prophecy,
and a beacon of protection
that keeps us from turning to the left or to the right when our name would point us
straight to the Creator
Who made us
to be named
Heard a couple preachers talking on the radio
they said the animals we name
will join us in heaven
because
naming is couched and rooted in love and in destiny
since all of creation will be there proclaiming and praising the King
I believe those two preachers
though I couldn't tell you their names…
God knows
and I feel His smile when I talk about Him
and His marvelous ideas
like love
and grace
and language
He created them
and He writes the best stories
in our hearts
Deep
holy
in His presence
His Kingdom is within us
…and the closet is her cover…
love that, graceful lily
Wooden Woman
so beautiful
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So beautiful, I needed a whole day to pull it all IN. I can picture you there, in your literal prayer closet…and my heart overflows with GREAT JOY knowing that He is there with you; with us. SURELY His Goodness and His Mercy will follow you!
dont you love those moments you feel his holiness so intensely, just want to breathe it in…
Brilliant. Prayer, a portal, a secret, a place. Wooden Woman steps in and HOLY happens. Even the particles of dust testify. Everything becomes REAL. Becoming REAL, this is why we pray. REAL. And who knows what will follow you out.
Lovely, lovely piece.