Friday, March 3, 2017

New to Mary



Hail Mary, full of grace,
Forgive me if I don't yet have the words down.
I am new to this ancient, million-voiced chorus;
New to Mary, ageless mother of countless names.

Bead by bead, I unwrap graces.
I think of Mary at unlikely moments:
As I look through the latest Avon brochure,
Write a memo for a freelance gig,
Or take the puppy for a walk by the church.

She's a woman, like me, whose blood-soaked words
Appear faithfully as the monthly flow,
Whose sorrow and tenderness hide a warrior princess heart.

New to Mary, I dare to laugh with her,
Woman-to-woman,
In ways that make the faithful cringe.
But Mary knows.

New to Mary, I reach for her hand
And take my place
In the spiral dance that never ends.

I awkwardly finger the beads
As the day cools down,
Before I savor peaceful slumber,
New to the practice,
New to Mary,
New to me.

Judith C Evans © 2017

2 comments:

Unknown said...

This poem of your experience with Mary is the most perfect Ave you could give to her. Beautifully and warmly written. I certainly would love to see and read more of this kind of heart felt wording. This is poetry.

Judith C Evans said...

Thank you, John! I hope to write more about this subject, as it means a lot to me. Always grateful for your encouragement and guidance.