Poem: “Oculus”
Oculus
At the appointed hour, all other time becomes
Not This.
I am in the sanctuary and it is the hour of Adoration.
All is dim shadow and stillness and quiet drapes around me like a monk’s cowl.
A slender beam illuminates the monstrance
And the Sacred Host- I swear it!-
Pulses with shimmers of light.
It is an oculus, an eye, a porthole,
A tiny tear in the fabric of the world
Allowing me to see for this moment beyond the illusion.
For it is the heart that sees; the eyes understand this.
A small white wafer confounding the senses
Showing that underneath reason burns a starker vision-
Of every word You ever spoke,
Of every night You spent cold, alone and in prayer,
Every fear, every joy,
Every drop of blood that poured from You.
Your eyes of love! Your groanings! Your thirst! Your nakedness!
And the oculus- a small sun of forgiveness and hope.
Scott Warren
