Ash Wednesday - Already?

I’m not really one who reads and understands poetry. My appreciation of poetry is more like some beautiful sight you drive by regularly - and on rare occasions look over and notice. 
So I wonder, why Ash Wednesday is a day I do stop and look for a good bit of poetry for this day? 

Hmmmm

I found a “Lectionary Haikus” page. Not as funny as I hoped! One good thing about it, was that it didn't inspire me to try to write my own haikus. I can see that if I got started writing Ash Wednesday haikus - it would be, to quote Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings, an ill wind that blew no good.

On the non-poetry front - while still using words wonderfully BBT has a nice pice from Xian Century - 1996 titled: “Remaining Human”

here’s a few good lines

In many churches, Lent begins with a sooty forehead, as believers kneel for the Ash Wednesday reminder that we  are dust, and to dust we shall return. It is not meant to depress or frighten us, but simply to remind us who we are: human beings, mortals, not God. 

The second story has a different ending. It starts out very scary, with Jesus and the devil engaged in a verbal duel and the devil quoting scripture like a preacher. (Let that be a lesson to all of us: just because someone knows the Bible "chapter and verse" does not mean that person is up to any good.) 

These days we seem to believe that crossing over the line [that is, sin] is about doing things that make us less than admirable human beings. Lent comes along and we give up things that are bad for us or take on things that are good for us, as if the most serious temptations in life were to drink too much scotch or eat too much fat or stay in bed on Sunday morning. But I do not think that is what these stories are about. I do not think they are about the temptation not to be a good human being. I think they are about the temptation not to be a human being at all. 

As far as I can tell, what Adam and Jesus are both tempted by is the chance to play God. In Adam's case, it was the chance to break out of his dependence on God and know both good and evil for himself. In Jesus' case, it was the chance to feed every hunger, to be superman, to control all the kingdoms of the earth. God never offers those things, incidentally — Satan is the only one who offers them, with a thousand strings attached.  

And an Ash Wednesday poem for you. 

(you don’t have to understand it - I sure don’t)

Marked by Ashes - Walter Brueggemann

Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .

This day — a gift from you.

This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received.

This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility.

This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home

     halfway back to committees and memos,

     halfway back to calls and appointments,

     halfway on to next Sunday,

     halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,

     half turned toward you, half rather not.

This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,

   but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —

     we begin this day with that taste of ash in our mouth:

       of failed hope and broken promises,

       of forgotten children and frightened women,

     we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to dust;

     we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our tongues.

We are able to ponder our ashness with

   some confidence, only because our every Wednesday of ashes

   anticipates your Easter victory over that dry, flaky taste of death.

On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —

   you Easter parade of newness.

   Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,

     Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;

     Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.

   Come here and Easter our Wednesday with

     mercy and justice and peace and generosity.

We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.