First Things RSS Feed - William Baer

The Flower Shop

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Ducking inside, escaping the thundershowers,
you see her surrounded with color-mad displays
of roses, tulips, lilies, mysterious flowers,
blooming plants, and wildly-fragrant bouquets.
“What are these?” you stupidly smile and say,
“They’re Elegante hybrids from Ecuador,
deep velvety red, and they stay that way,
the most popular flower we sell in the store.”
“I’d like a dozen, delivered sometime today.”
“And where and to whom should we send them to?”
You know she knows, but you tell her anyway,
“I’d like to have them sent to you.”
She places her order book back on the shelf,
smiles and says, “I’ll deliver these myself.”

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The Widow of Niam

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I follow the rank corpse, holding my breath,
prepared to bury my son forevermore;
a widow left with nothing, nothing but death,
who prays, but doesn’t know what she’s praying for.
Suddenly, the multitudes appear
following the Rabbi at Niam’s Gate,
who meets my eyes and whispers, “Have no fear.”
The funeral procession stops. I wait.
He turns to sees the corpse of my dead son,
then calls out loud, “I say to thee, arise.”
My son sits on his bier, his death undone,
the flash of heaven gleaming in his eyes.
Then, watching Jesus leave, though shocked and numb,
I know that He’s “the one who is to come.”

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