sursum corda
Harvey S. Mozolak

her thoughts at once fearful
yet surprised
Mary reached into his arms
and marveled that her Joseph
was not dead
old but lively in this moment
as they dried the wet infant
of heaven’s dew sprung
from the virgin well
he laughed
the beams of the carpenter’s arms
like the limbs of an unshaved oak
held the boy high
unlike that bearer who carried holiness
and touched to catch the falling
ark of promise in a stumble
he cried and died
her hands and Joseph’s ached
only with love to lift
the  baby from the feed box
and hold God squirming among them
the covenant
begging to be touched and kissed
that he might share joy divine
and his Father’s forgiveness
for the Fall