How? Another poem?
Could there be one more
Of any sweet fruit
In such an exhausted world?
The gurgle-well gone aspirate –
Surely goodness and mercy
Stick in the mouth; parched
Song comes only with a dry tear:
The yank of a bandage.
But I looked again and saw –
I am not lying – a living river,
A fluency of words, a humble rain
Undermining the stones so that
They slid and toppled
Not one left atop another.
Then, a strawberry flared red;
A many-seeded music
A rose burning with mirth-light,
Casting doubt upon the dark stones
Like dawn dissolving nightmares!
Bright white horses carried rhyme
Riders to liberate shadowed valleys
Singing, ‘Thus far and no further!’
Wild joy they scattered, planting
Cantors enchanting a world come un-sung:
A blessed burst upon the tongue!
Matthew Clark is a singer/songwriter and storyteller from Mississippi. He has recorded several full length albums, including Matthew’s latest project, “The Well Trilogy,” 3 full-length album/book combos released over three years. Each installment—Only the Lover Sings, A Tale of Two Trees, and Where the River Goes—is made up of 11 songs and a companion book of 13 essays written by a variety of contributors exploring themes around encountering Jesus, faith-keeping, and the return of Christ. You can find the books on Amazon and the albums on Spotify and Apple Music.
A founding member of The Maker’s Project and a columnist for Cultivating, Matthew’s essays reflect on faith-keeping and pilgrimage. Matthew travels as a touring musician and speaker sharing songs and stories in a van called Vandalf.
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