Out of the Ash
By Rebecca Lindsay
A blast,
a catastrophic splintering
that snapped titan trunks
like asparagus in a cook’s hand—
On that fateful day
living wood shattered
screaming as it fell,
radiating outward
from the epicenter
of a mountain gone mad.
Ash snowed, reigned,
sifted into pockets, crevices,
creating instant desolation
that stunned gawkers to disbelief.
But now, after a space,
a span of natural time,
in the hollow core
of this weathered stump,
rooted in the residue
of that dreadful day,
grows a delicate blue flower.
Out of the ash, beauty,
Out of the darkness, light,
Out of the chaos, new order,
Out of death, comes life.
Rebecca Lindsay is a member of Community of Faith Presbyterian Church in Covington, Kentucky, where she served the past ten years as Clerk of Session. She has also served as Moderator and Chair of Council for the Presbytery of Cincinnati and as Elder Commissioner to General Assembly in 2004.
Permission is granted for use of the poem in worship or programs. Please give credit to the author and blog. For permission to reprint, please contact the author at loisterms@fuse.net.