And More Scraps

Praying

Life had not been going well for me and I decided I needed to get God’s attention. “Look, Buster,” I said. “Life is not going well for me and…”

I suddenly had this vision of God roaring with laughter. “Look at her. Get her! Isn’t she cute!” I then saw what God was seeing, this little gnat on the tail of a dragon shouting into the void.

I quickly changed my tone.

Intersection

Just a boy

            in the back of the police car.

Pale sideburns on a

            boy’s cheeks

               behind the wires

                        that are bars.

What have you done?

Your mask is a face

     my heart aches to reach out to.

but the light changes,

and the cars move on.

Split Second

The young man had been waiting to cross the street for some time. I could tell by the expression on his face. But the stream of cars hurried on, each one filled with people busy going somewhere.

I stopped and waved him on, and the car beside me slowed guiltily and then stopped. The young man glanced at me, frowned, and then smiled. He waved. I returned the wave and smiled back. For just an instant our eyes met. Then he ran on and I continued my drive.

Such a brief encounter, but it changed my day and I know it affected him as well. A split second of time, but a whole world hangs in the balance. In a moment new human beings are conceived or die, lives are changed irrevocably, nations rise or fall, wars are begun or ended.

Our lives, like the patchwork quilt, are made up of such split seconds, woven uniquely together to create that drama called living.