i had not hands but claws
and o’er my fingers daggers grew
my skin was tough and scaly
not one breeze would i let through
it took so long to grow them
at such weight, such awful cost
protecting what was sacred
never minding what was lost
all those years i hunched, protected
isolated and alone
til that day quite unexpected
when You came to storm my home
You battered my defenses
and tore down each heavy wall
shot a cannon through my fortress
blew a hole and watched them fall
thought this heart so well-protected
yet my walls were paper thin
i thought it’d all but kill me
when You finally blew them in
and at last i knelt before You
trembling, battered and afraid
to discover once forever
the price to win me that You paid
for Your hands they were all bloodied
a great wound ripped right through Your side
and Your dusty cheeks still slick
with all the tears that You had cried
steady You came across the chasm
and grabbed hold of my still hand
and You led me back on home
into Your peaceful, holy land
and what a world You have been showing
full of wonders, deep and new
full of joys so unexpected
full of grace forever new
thank You for that day of battle
thank You for Your grand assault
though i rebelled and raged and cursed
and every cell against You fought
for You simply had to kill me
it hurt much more than i had feared
but the new life You breathed into me
defies description, even here
12/7/18
If you’ve enjoyed this piece of creative writing, I’d love to hear about it!
The Grand Assault
I love your poems Jodi - they have so much depth to them. Thank you for sharing