TLC


Hers was a life laid down
to care for the needs of men
in a decrepit hospital ward.

She knew the scent of sleepless nights,
the onslaught of the relentless days
and she blotted out their pain.

Sweat-soaked skin
that no amount of soap
could freshen;
the ammonia of fever
and the subtle musk of death:
all were familiar to her -
even the taint of fruitless semen...

But suddenly, there was
an unfamiliar fragrance:
a body that was different,
outside of her jurisdiction,
not under her most tender care...

He said she nursed him
back to life,
that he lived to take care of her
always.

When he said his name was Jesus,
she was suddenly in a garden;
Love was calling her name:
"Mary".

Only his hands could make her well.