And Jesus Said “Hey Dad”

Melba Smith failed to see the irony
In the carpenter’s house aflame.
She wept and glared,
Alternately, as you laughed
And blamed you for damage
Probably caused by an aged hand
Sending too many prayers.

You rocked on your heels,
Fingertips sheathed in denim,
And looked across the parking lot—
Past the red trucks and church buses—
Shaking your head at thoughts
Only you would share at the scene.

Your lips to God’s ears,
And everyone in-between,
“And Jesus said, ‘Hey Dad,
I can fix this.
It’s what I do.’
And as you know,
Through Christ,
All things are possible.”


Published in Creative License, 2008.