house of affliction

it’s a hard story
and an odd
one
about Lazarus
who died
and Jesus delayed in coming
to the family
while Lazarus was ill

so Jesus was not there in
time
to Bethany

maybe
to heal Lazarus
while alive
and
didn’t we know by now that Jesus could
do this
though now he couldn’t fix
even with mud
or adjuration

because
Lazarus was beyond
even extraordinary healing
but his
spirit gone
the body wrapped and thus entombed

and when
Jesus got there
did he not receive some scolding
for his
lateness
though such comments borne in love no
doubt

and Jesus moved now
toward
the tomb of Lazarus
regardless
and
even though he was warned
away out of
practical considerations of
how might be the body after time
had
passed

but Jesus
as if all could know
was
sad
as if stricken for the life of Lazarus now
gone from Earth

and
we know
Jesus
wept

and then turned from crying
toward
commanding as
he might rebuke the storm at sea
or take on the Pharisees
of the day

ordering the gravestone to be pushed or pulled
away
and then
more stentorian
I think to call
to
shout
that Lazarus should
come out

and
still wrapped
in
shroud cloth
did
Lazarus
appear

and there should be fear
with reason
and then after the certainty of life
the certainty of

joy

and
for those who think
only a God
if God
can return to life
even on
Earth
well
here’s our story
of a human only human who
got to do that

not
to show us how but
to return
and then to show us how

c l couch


John 11

image provided by Europeana at Unsplash