Monday, August 24th, 2009...8:06 pm
Comfort in the Rough
(For the “closet” writing prompt, a High Calling Blogs Random Act of Poetry)
Twenty-one months out of the womb,
his head pressed its weight on my shoulder,
satisfying.
He fingered the sleeve of my shirt,
the black v-neck with corduroy stripes.
Rough fabric between thumb and forefinger,
back and forth, he rubbed the fabric,
finding comfort in the roughness
soothing him to sleep.
He does not find comfort in the smooth
fabric of the coral-pink rayon shirt,
for the untouched sheer of silkiness
has not known the solid substance
of scrapes and suffering.
His older brother’s green blanket,
edges satin-lined and fine,
gathers balls of age and use,
and sometimes abuse.
But the child seeking bedtime comfort
moves fingers past the satiny edge
to the scratched and scratchy part,
the blanket itself.
He moves beyond the superficial
to the stability and the comfort
of the rough.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV)
...to Know-Love-Obey God
4 Comments
August 24th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Oh, this is beautiful.
I am thinking of my boys…of silkies, and “mama’s p.j.s.” He couldn’t get enough of that comfort in the rough.
You bring it all back. My closet is so full of skeleton’s that I’m having a tough time with this one.
August 25th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Good Morning!
I had to stop over here before my busy morning begins, new tires (ahh more $$$—but grateful to be able to drive in safety) …then a stop over to school … setting up my classroom early
Monica, this poem still speaks clearly to the heart of this mother … even though my children are grown and on their own… this is still so very true. They, we still need the tenderness of hugs and closeness… but oh how much closer the hugs and comfort when we are REAL to each other.
Not a lot of satin in this lady’s closet, not even for work ;o)
I’m passing this poem on to my children… It will go out in the mail today with my husband’s lil’ devotionals he writes and sends them a few times a week…
All the best, Maria
August 28th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Wonderful imagery–I can see little fingers kneading alongside adult hearts needing too. And the scripture following the poem really pulls it all together. This would indeed make a lovely printed poem tacked to a nursery wall…
August 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I missed this.
So true. So true.
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