Lenten Sonnet XVII, 2025

Luke 13:1-17

If you were trying to empty a jar
Of air, the pastor said, the quickest way
Is to fill it with water. A guitar
In the hands of a brave woman can stay
The old accuser’s lies that fill my head
When she pours out her heart in a song.
If you want to keep the weeds from the bed,
Fill it with seeds till the flowers are strong.
“Repent!” Our Lord said; I’ve heard it before:
A turning away from the sins we hide.
And I always tried harder to ignore
The tempter’s dark voice--believe me, I tried.
Teach me, Lord, not just to repent from sin,
But to repent to you again, again.