Ears Opening (A Simple Poem for a Confounding Season)
By: Quina Parchment

“When You discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
You consume like a moth what is
dear to him…” – Psalm 39:11

“He delivers the afflicted by their affliction
and opens their ear by adversity.” – Job 36:15

Writers get to taste life
twice
but unbearable fills
this cup,
too bitter to drink

much less recite
plus my taste buds
are near numb, burned
in the heat of plight
and my eyes worn out
with tears and sighs
how can I thus
see clearly enough
to direct them when
I am stumbling, near-sighted
like I’m
un-cleansed from this muck?
And every glance reminds me
of what I’ve lost
what fellowship and confidence,
gone
And every reminder
begs me, “Why? Why?”
met with my heart’s cry,
“I don’t know.”
Beautiful moments,
fine-crafted china,
dropped from the fourth floor
during the showers of
the fourth month
to crash into jagged glass,
these memories,
leave me bleeding at the core

when what’s left of deep love

is disgusting mistrust

a harmony of humble worship,

now a cacophony of wrongs

feeling this injury, internal,
is eternal
but I know
I know
I know He is with me
holding my
squirming heart, bleeding

ark-safe in His clutch

His blood-bought promises

still stand

while He destroys

with great deluge voice

a steadfastness of man

that I miss-took

And behold,
as I confess my unbelief
and plead to know You again
I feel my ears begin
to open
wider to listen…

Talk to me in this painful providence.

Teach me again
what it means
to listen–
legs broken
soul crushed
but ears opened.
Joy You give can’t be stolen.