Saturday, June 16, 2012

Dear Friends, I'm sharing a poem I recently wrote. Blessings, Anna

Note to Jesus from a Woman in Cana

by Anna Cotton

You would have thought she was the bride the way she glowed.
My mom,the gifted storyteller, was thrilled to have an attentive audience
for her every detailed description of dress, and meal, and future grandchildren.

Me, I was just the bride. My role was to smile and nod.
I wasn't meant to be heard.

Though in that silence I noticed a lot
like the threatening buzz of bees around empty jars
like the stewards discussing the problem
like your mother seeing what my distracted one missed
and calmly directing the servants to do your bidding.

Of course it's gone down in history how you said it wasn't your time,
but you did something anyway.
And what a something--turning water into wine!
My handsome Jacob had no answer to the question,
"Why have you saved the best for last?"

But his words have become Mom's favorite part of the wedding story,
which she recites often.

My favorite part wasn't so much about the wine.
It was watching you respond to a wise woman, your own mother,
as she whispered,  "Now is the time. You can start here."

All of us who were truly thirsty began to drink.

3 comments:

Daniel said...

Anna, thanks for sharing this poem! I've enjoyed reading and re-reading it throughout the week. I especially like the way you've highlighted Jesus' sensitivity to His mother's wisdom, and your closing sentence: "All of us who were truly thirsty began to drink." Beautifully put!

John Orzechowski said...

Anna, thanks for sharing this poem. I have read it several times over the last few days. I like how you imagine this bride and her mother retelling the wedding story again later in life ('his words have become Mom's favorite part of the wedding story \ which she recites often'). It's interesting that the people Jesus encounters in the Gospels would potentially have a lifetime of telling and re-telling the stories of their encounters with the Teacher. Sharing our own stories seems to be an important part of the spiritual journey.

Paul T. Corrigan said...

Thanks you for this. I too particularly like the ending, especially "My favorite part wasn't so much about the wine. / It was watching you respond to a wise woman . . ." I like that insight a lot, the focus on something deep and important over the merely flashy (not that the miracle was merely flashy but in contrast to what you are pointing out).

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