Redemption

she swung on the swing suspended by the rough hewn rope
from the gnarled horizontal branch of the country olive tree
she sang in harmony with the hidden voices of the tree spirits
like the sweet melody of flowing winds passing though reeds
her tune sprung melancholic, but beautiful,
softly pulling at my taut nerves
to calm them with soft wisps of her notes,
assuaging my heart's ear and mind,
making my spirit rise and fall into the cushions of her voice,
like love rising and lifting from the depths,
where my heavy weights are attached to my soul

she swung on the swing suspended by her own hold
in her cotton flannel dress spun by the hand of her own mother
who lay in quiet repose upon her porch bed
who i dimly see behind the mosquito screens
tinged by rust and dust over the century past

she swung on the swing fashioned by her father
who labored in the fields adjacent this house,
their home
working from sunup to sundown,
his two oxen pulling steadily by the same frame of time
devoted by day
faithful in the manger, unquestioning,
by the night

performing their task ordained
ne'er complaining, lowly pulling,
straining at the man's command-
their master who supported their own needs

for the girl, his loving daughter
swinging upon the swing which he himself fashioned
with his own loving hand
hewn of rough rope and hickory board for its seat

upon it she swung as was common for her
on sundays especially and in particular
while her mother lay at rest
as was common on hot summer afternoons
while father husband labored
by his own choice though it be sunday
for to that task was he appointed,
although knowing that a man must rest
whether sabbath or not
to rejuvenate his strength and mental state for healthiness

she swung away in glee and sang
she was born way ahead of her time
and she knew the outcome of things to come
as taught by her late grandmother
the one on her mother's side who died
with eternal secrets in her breast
but not all, she shared them with her favorite granddaughter, she,
the only one who showed interest in the words of God
while her siblings played,
they swam in the creeks and in the pools of the shady wood
they played with one another and neglected the things of their grandmother
they swang in the swing to provoke her
for they considered it a boring thing to do so
and quickly tired, and relinquished to their sister
whose voice waxed beautiful and great
it carried across the vast meadows bordering the house
into the woods and across the canyon
to the ears of the one who lived in its cave
it stunned him to pleasure
he sought the lovely girl to which it belonged
and sought to find her and befriend her
to which he bent his goal in one willful accord of his own mind
for to do her harm,
gratify his murderous lust
to further enhance his pleasure

she swang on the swing til dusk
this evening
she sang a song she'd fashioned herself
which came to her in the thin of night
the wee hours of it
to her soul
from her heart
to her mind
inspired from the mind of God's angel
to bless the day and carry the night
to bless the hearing ears
to reveal those secrets reserved by Him
to change the course of those bent for harm
to bless the heart, cause it to refrain
from emptiness of existence to life
though for the moment
to last throughout such time
to bear fruit to the listeners
that they should wait with greater patience
for his return
though men mocked then as they do now,
where is the promise of his coming?
thousands of years have passed
where is he, the one whose coming was ordained of old?

and so she, who sat upon that swing and sang
she sang knowingly of what her grandmother had told her
"sing without regard for who is listening,"
said she while still alive upon this earth,
"let your beloved father work his fields,
let your mother sleep
and your brothers play
fulfill your task
make music, fill you heart and swing away
tomorrow you must work while others play"

when of a sudden the earth strongly shook
the sky peeled back in silent flames, like a scroll
her world vaporized

the imprint of her dress,
its shadow etched and burned upon the face
of he who sought her voice
of he who would have vandalized her form
were it not for the sudden rush of the end of time
by the momentous detonation of a thermonuclear blast
belched by the mother of all bombs

i was instantly carried away by the softness of angel's wings
heaven bound
just like Elijah and Enoch
in the twinkling of an eye
just like many others who had waited for the time

i heard her voice singing strong
along with all the others who instantly rose
far above the hell on earth
singing to the one who called them forth
all in one accord
transformed in an instant with immortal bodies