The Choice—a poem by B
“. . . The Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world” Rev. 13:8
It was my Choice:
The reason, passion, pain
The flow of joy
That went before the cross
That went before the word
That went before the light and breath and songs and love
And, not by my word,
Death and pride and greed
Before the cross
That went before the word
(The word to let the light leap forth
Unbound by death and pride and greed)
There was the Choice
To bear the ends
To bear the means
Engulfing all that went between
To bear the ends
Myself
To bear the means
Myself
Engulfing all that went between
Myself
Lamb slain
Premeditated
First degree and lasting love
To swallow death
First person choice
First person you
Your choice to love
Assent to light
I could not stop the darkness
But I swallowed it
The death of dying
Your life chosen
Both by me and you
I Choosing you
You choosing me
The Choice—my choice
Myself, my choice
Who else to bear the means
The end must cause?
Who else to answer
What the voice calls forth
To shine
To live
If once to die
To live again
By choice—your choice?
And all the means
Both mean and kind
The ends that at the end you find
Are in the end your choice and mine