Fencepost of Salvation by Richard King Perkins II

 

simanta datta

Fencepost of Salvation

 

Incaution is my legacy—

I give to you my scarred hands

and laughing thoughts thrown into heaven’s courtyard.

And now, the tranquil earth melts away

into silver runes ringing

in the sweet throat of morning.

Later, barricades will fall and broken depths

descend past the curve of my rescue.

Remarkable supplication, all these things;

how giving, stark and filled with murmur.

 

You stride like light in that barest place,

feel the living body of a valley

brace against your feet.

You heal my broken hands at the fencepost of salvation

until they are entirely your own.

You replace the lost sound of my voice

so that I boldly sing.

In the flower valley and white meadow,

in the white tale of tomorrow

on the planet you’ve inherited from so many;

you repair my being

until I’m simply an ancient fracture restored.

 

Incaution is my legacy—

my scarred hands,

my laughing thoughts thrown into heaven’s courtyard;

and yet, you are.

© Richard King Perkins II

Richard King Perkins II

Richard King Perkins II is a state-sponsored advocate for residents in long-term care facilities. He lives in Huntley, IL, with his wife, Vickie, and daughter, Sage. His work has appeared in more than fifteen hundred publications.