your name

At first I noticed the cover,

engraved leather, chic, expensive, gold leaf.

The hands turning pages never appeared,

but one by one they turned

until mine was read

and every lie

I ever told.

I stood bare faced 

most vulnerable as I could recall

listening to each ear shattering syllable

in the presence of His sinless grace.

He called your name and love before it

and I wept.

Reviews

[Lyn Anderson]

hmmm, an interesting piece. A tome of lost soullessness, and feeling the need for forgiveness. Not sure the origin, but a good piece of poetry.

[m.s.early]

Thank you KL. I've been contemplating the notion that guilt is the flip side of pride. Where pride promotes self needlessly, guilt deflates self needlessly. In either case "self" is at the center of both. Spiritual growth doesn't occur on selfish motivation. It occurs when on acts of selflessness and sacrifice.

[Lyn Anderson]

Yeah, I am a card carrying Catholic -- guilt comes with the territory, but so does forgiveness.

[lost girl]

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV /

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Why does he lie?

[m.s.early]

Pride of course. isn't selfcenteredness the reason for deceit?

[lost girl]

There is never a reason for deceit ....not in love...maybe he is lying to himself about knowing what love is....we all love each other for it is human nature ......I think he is not showing himself love and therefore cant properly expressing the correct extent of love to someone else...he weeps for not loving her as he should? For not loving his God in obedience? for not being truthful to himself? I don't know if I would call those things selfcentered..

[lost girl]

I guess in my opinion...I think you should love everyone...even your enemies for they too are your brethren.( we forgive them with our hearts through love because they know not what they do) does it make what they do right? NO Does it make what you ( general) do right? of course not. You too should love yourself and yes weep in your forgiveness, God's forgiveness, her forgiveness. Now want...want is a whole other issue :)

[m.s.early]

Your premise is based on everyone being good at heart therefore recognizing love for what it really is, but there is evil in the world and there are evil people that roam it that know what love is and rebuke it.

[lost girl]

Yes, I believe that everyone is born from love...is love, for purpose. If he is evil...then why does he weep?

[lost girl]

I know...I am a pain :) Just call my question girl.LOL It's in my nature...

[Sami Khalil]

The narrator imagining or expecting judgement day and the opening of books. When her name was mentioned ( probably an illicit relationship) the narrator wept. I could be wrong. A wonderful and well-thought write...:)..........

[m.s.early]

Very close... it was when love was mentioned before her name that the lie was revealed.

read moreVery close... it was when love was mentioned before her name that the lie was revealed.

Thank you for reading :)

[Sami Khalil]

Wow. You are welcome...:)................

[Frieda P]

Sounds like you're standing in judgement here xavier, not sure who 'he' is supposed to be, I guess it could be god or some other entity, or your own inner voice. Intriguing read, enjoyed.

[m.s.early]

Point on, at least in terms of the narrator.

[paddy d daly]

strange and cryptic yet very heartfelt, there was something about this that I really liked, maybe the vulnerability, good read anyway man.

[m.s.early]

It was about guilt that is revealed when we our deceit is acknowledged. In this case the narrator internalizes the shame of his false love for her when it is proclaimed that his declaration was a lie.

[paddy d daly]

damn, that is deep.

[Bright Ocean Star]

beautiful, Xavier...is this "St. Peter's Book"? I had to read it a few times to catch the significance. Utterly beautiful.

[m.s.early]

Thank you so much Anne.