after God called
their journey became one of long silences—
severe like the thin, tempered blade
his son could not name
and when they spoke
their few words crackled like fire. . .
such was the private terror they carried like stones or wood
as they climbed
the thin mountain air stabbed at lost and seeping eyes
then God called again
do not lay your hand on the boy
then
God knew
for the first time
a father’s savage gift of letting go
Sister Lou Ella is a former teacher and librarian. She is a certified spiritual director as well as a poet and writer. Her poems have appeared in numerous magazines such as America, First Things, Emmanuel, Third Wednesday, and new verse news as well as in four anthologies: The Night’s Magician: Poems about the Moon, edited by Philip Kolin and Sue Brannan Walker, Down to the Dark River edited by Philip Kolin, Secrets edited by Sue Brannan Walker and After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events edited by Tom Lombardo. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017. Her first book of poetry entitled she: robed and wordless was published in 2015. (Press 53.)