Triduum

It’s not about sleepless

vigils in the barefoot dark,

challenging those sleepy disciples

by proving our reverent insomnia.

It’s not about earthbound bread

sitting in the dark alone,

in the absence of tears or laughter,

abandoned for the sake of our warm beds.

It’s not about guilt, or betrayal,

or bloody self-sacrifice,

or keeping our mouths shut

while bureaucrats wash their hands.

It’s not about absent friends

or aimless, dull-as-dishwater days

when grief puts on a mask

and stays six feet out of reach.

This is about remembering when God

gave up wanting impossible things,

issued an ultimatum for us to love each other,

and walked out hand-in-hand with Death.