Palm Sunday

This is the antiphon for Palm Sunday. It is one of those extraordinarily beautiful songs that the Church composes for its most special occasions. In traditional Catholic services, this is the antiphon that is sung while the faithful process up to receive their palms.

Today's poetry prompt was another fill in the blank prompt, "So (blank)". All of the initial ideas were flippant: "So.... it has come to this". (And very dramatic it is too.) "So, this is how it ends..." (Only I can't think of anything to follow up with.) "So this is how it feels." (I don't do feelings.) 

An idea occurred to me on the way down to Mass... it was supposed to be a two part poem. The last two lines would have involved me lifting palms and singing "Hosanna filio David". So I worried the poem into shape..... and discovered that after a single part, it seems so complete that I could not figure out how to get the second part in. I did not immediately post it, as I really hoped that a second part might take shape. But the more I thought about it, the more the poet instinct told me that it was finished. So this is the poem of the day:

So I, In Darkness Sought Thy Face

Palm Sunday, 2017

Because I saw Thy Glory clad

In home-spun robes, Thy work-scarred hands

Upraised to bless and to command

The Sea be calm and sorrows flee,

Because I saw Thy Chivalry,

So I, in darkness, sought Thy Face,

And saw the Face Thou hid.