STRANGERS

STRANGERS

                    

"BE YE WARMED AND FILLED." YOU SAID

AND TURNED AND CLOSED THE DOOR

AND I TURNED UP MY THREADBARE COLLAR

AND WALKED INTO THE COLD ONCE MORE.

I'D ASKED FOR FOOD AND SHELTER

COME CALLING FOR A FRIEND

FOR I'D SEEN YOUR BUMPER STICKERS

AND A FLAG THAT SAID "JESUS'S FRIEND".

SO, HOPE LEAPT IN MY HOPELESS HEART

AND I EAGERLY OPENED YOUR GATE

I SAW THROUGH YOUR WINDOW A FAMILY GATHERING

AND THE FOOD PILED HIGH UPON ALL THE PLATES.

YOU ANSWERED MY KNOCK WITH A PUZZLED EXPRESSION

"YES?" YOU ASKED AS YOU TOOK IN MY CLOTHES

AS I GAVE MY REQUEST, YOU SAID, "WELL, I THINK THAT YOUR BEST

BET IS TO GO DOWN TO THE SHELTER, YOU KNOW."

"THEY'RE FULL," I SAID, "THERE'S NO MORE ROOM

NO BED, NO FOOD, NO HEAT

I SAW YOUR SIGNS AND THOUGHT I'D TRY

TO ASK YOU TO HELP MY NEED."

"I HAVEN'T ALWAYS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES," I SAID

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO PROUD

BUT THEN I LOST MY JOB AND HOME

AND THEN FINALLY GOT LOST IN THE CROWD."

I RECENTLY HEARD A MESSAGE

ABOUT A MAN CALLED CHRIST

AND SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR HIM

AND READY TO ACCEPT HIS PRICE.

BUT UNTIL TODAY, I COULDN'T FIND

JUST WHERE THIS SAVIOR DWELLS

I'VE LOOKED SO HARD AND FOUND NO ONE

TO SAVE MY LIFE OF HELL.

I SAW YOUR SIGN, I SAW YOUR FAITH

AND I KNEW I'D FOUND A FRIEND

JUST A LITTLE REST, A LITTLE FOOD

AND I'LL BE ON MY WAY AGAIN."

"I'LL PRAY FOR YOU." YOU SAID IN A WHISPER

AS YOU PULLED THE CHAIN BACK INTO IT'S SLOT

"I CANNOT ASK YOU IN," YOU SAID

"WE JUST REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT."

"BUT GOD WILL MEET YOUR NEED," YOU SAID

AND GIVE YOU YOUR HEART'S DESIRE

AND HE WILL FEED AND CLOTHE YOU, TOO."

AS YOU GLANCED BACK AT YOUR FIRE.

"SO GO ON YOUR WAY AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED."

YOU SAID AS YOU AVERTED YOUR EYES

AND JUST THEN THE WIND BLEW DOWN YOUR "JESUS'S FRIEND"

AND I SAW THE SHOCK IN YOUR EYES.

"THANK YOU." I SAID AND I TURNED TO GO

AND I FELL ON THE ICE AT YOUR DOOR

MY HEART FELT AS EMPTY AS MY BELLY THAT SCREAMED

AND I MADE MY WAY BLINDLY ONCE MORE.

"BE YE WARMED AND FILLED!" YOU CRIED

AND I HEARD YOUR FRONT DOOR SLAM

AND I BENT MY HEAD AND KNEW THE TRUTH:

YOU'RE MUCH POORER THAN I AM.

AT THE GATE, THERE STOOD A STRANGER

AND HE SMILED AND REACHED OUT TO ME

"COME HOME WITH ME, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU

AND I'VE FOUND YOU AND YOU HAVE FOUND ME."

AND AT YOUR WINDOW, I SAW A GLIMPSE

OF A TEAR-STAINED FACE OF WOE

YOU SAW ME WALKING AWAY FULL OF JOY

WITH A STRANGER THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW.       

         

©By Voo

December 30, 2000