angel of death came forth
and rained incendiary grace
as fire bombs upon our heads
that we might look up in awe
and be ripped toward heaven
from the arms of mother earth,
while we screamed –

JOY! JOY! HALLELUJAH! JOY!
THIS MESSENGER FROM THE LORD
TEARS OUR HOPEFUL LIVES IN TWAIN
WITH LOVE-EDGED, FORGIVING SWORD

’til none was left save the smoking ruins
of an empty chalice that held the world
now tipped upon its broken side
spilling out the compassion of god
dark and wet as blood upon the ground