"THE POET AND THE CROSS"

by judy joy jones


Althia prided herself on honesty....made her own way...no handouts she proudly declared.... "I deliver flowers to buy my bread and have a pillow on which to lay my head."

One night as she delivered her last order of flowers, a lone bandit climbed in her truck as she prepared to drive off. Holding a gun to her head he said..."You are about to take your last breath lady...give me all your money or I'll blow you away...Let's have it, your stashed cash"....

The poet whose painful existence on earth had pushed her beyond normal fears, put her hand around the cross dangling between her two heaving breasts and said; "Sir I work until I bleed delivering flowers from my truck...You'll have to shoot me before I give you even one of my hard earned dollars.." And she began to pray, her voice echoing the moaning muffled cries of all humanity...it came from within the Soul of Eternity. "Oh most Holy Father, Mother, Sister and Brothers of the Heavens here and beyond, oh Makers of all Lifeforce...hallow it be Thy name..."

Listening intensely to her prayer, the bandits arms started to shake
and he fled her truck taking nothing more then that with which he came and the words of her prayer sealed with flames upon his heart. "But deliver us from evil" the poet continued to pray..."for thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever..." But before she got to amen, her small voice rose into a loud sob..."Oh my dearest Lord, I almost died..." Louder and louder her sobs grew..Althia threw her head on the seat; wailing and moaning like an old dog thrown on a deserted highway by its ungrateful master to suffer and die all alone.

Two long hours passed..."Why, why dearest Gods in the Heavens above..."Why can't you send me someone to love, hold and touch....all I have is a pen and these verses that no one ever hears...."Why can't I have someone upon whom I may share these very lonely tears?" Finally, the last teardrop fell and in this lone poets soul a fresh spirit prevailed like that which embraces a newborn child straight from Heavens doors.

As she drove away a smile spread slowly across her face still wet from tears. "Without love", she wrote in her diary that night, "There is no life. And without the reminder of death, we forget we are here for a moment then returned to God's Light...and in that brief moment of life, we are here to love".

Still clutching her cross she climbed into bed and a strange Supernatural Light slowly enveloped her spirit and spread around her room. God's presence filled her with Divine Joy and as she fell asleep, she cried;

"Oh my dearest most precious Holy Lord of Lords, spread Thy ethereal rainbow colored wings far and wide over the soul of the stranger with the gun. An Angel of Yours was he....as a reminder of Eternity was revealed to me through him tonight and once more my heart is opened and longing for love."

"Oh my sweet Lord I am your spirit Heavenly bound and most content to be your toy..my will is Thy Will. I offer my heart, soul, body and mind as sacred feast in thy sacred fire....a sacrifice to all humankind and all Lifeforce..please oh Lord surround the lone stranger and my soul with all that is most Divine"

As Althia gently loosened her hand, freeing the cross she still clutched, she wiped the last teardrop from her cheek.

c jj 2023


























                                         Coronado Times Judy Joy Jones