The Cup
A few blades of sun pierce
through the ebony pools of darkness
that flood the corners of the cell
and splash out beyond the edges of walls,
leaving the interior black; deep and dank and dark.
Asleep on the hard floor, Joseph shivers under his cloak.
There are no blankets, here –
no meager ration of bread;
no water to quench his thirst;
no words of comfort;
no kindness.
There is only the dull clanking of the guards checking the locks
and the stamp of their sandals on dirt floors.
He is alone.
He listens to his heart beat.
He watches for a sign of life beyond the stone walls.
Sometimes a honey bee flies in, and then, seeking light,
flies out again.
Sometimes the petal of a flower drifts in through the bars
and lands silently in the dust.
Sometimes, a single feather floats through the window slats
and settles on the ledge.
Mostly, there is silence and darkness and prayer.
Joseph stirs, drifting out of dreams, and shifts back into sleep.
At the center of the room, a light the size of a pinhead
floats above his slumbering form.
It hovers, and then begins to expand, radiating energy
from Its microscopic source.
It splays out in iridescent rays – a light sprinkler,
a glowing orb that dances and rests
and lingers in midair.
Joseph wakes, his wide eyes opening in fascination.
The Light begins to shift, flowing into amorphous shapes,
stretching out through the space of the cell,
finally resting in the shape of a man –
The Living God.
Christ steps forth to offer the Cup.
All things are contained in this Grail – the object of transformation;
the catalyst for creation;
the seed of imagination.
“With faith, every spark of energy in everything
can become any other thing.
There is no death, only change;
no destruction, only a reordering of matter.
Every spiritual being lives forever.
Every material thing becomes new.
Life after life, rebirth after rebirth.
Everything Is. Everything is and God is.
Everything is God.”
Jesus places the Cup into Joseph’s hand.
“It could be any cup;
any ordinary cup;
The power lies in belief.”
Instantly the cell is black,
except for one small reflection –
a light from nowhere
that bounces off the curved,smooth rim.
A few blades of sun pierce
through the ebony pools of darkness
that flood the corners of the cell
and splash out beyond the edges of walls,
leaving the interior black; deep and dank and dark.
Asleep on the hard floor, Joseph shivers under his cloak.
There are no blankets, here –
no meager ration of bread;
no water to quench his thirst;
no words of comfort;
no kindness.
There is only the dull clanking of the guards checking the locks
and the stamp of their sandals on dirt floors.
He is alone.
He listens to his heart beat.
He watches for a sign of life beyond the stone walls.
Sometimes a honey bee flies in, and then, seeking light,
flies out again.
Sometimes the petal of a flower drifts in through the bars
and lands silently in the dust.
Sometimes, a single feather floats through the window slats
and settles on the ledge.
Mostly, there is silence and darkness and prayer.
Joseph stirs, drifting out of dreams, and shifts back into sleep.
At the center of the room, a light the size of a pinhead
floats above his slumbering form.
It hovers, and then begins to expand, radiating energy
from Its microscopic source.
It splays out in iridescent rays – a light sprinkler,
a glowing orb that dances and rests
and lingers in midair.
Joseph wakes, his wide eyes opening in fascination.
The Light begins to shift, flowing into amorphous shapes,
stretching out through the space of the cell,
finally resting in the shape of a man –
The Living God.
Christ steps forth to offer the Cup.
All things are contained in this Grail – the object of transformation;
the catalyst for creation;
the seed of imagination.
“With faith, every spark of energy in everything
can become any other thing.
There is no death, only change;
no destruction, only a reordering of matter.
Every spiritual being lives forever.
Every material thing becomes new.
Life after life, rebirth after rebirth.
Everything Is. Everything is and God is.
Everything is God.”
Jesus places the Cup into Joseph’s hand.
“It could be any cup;
any ordinary cup;
The power lies in belief.”
Instantly the cell is black,
except for one small reflection –
a light from nowhere
that bounces off the curved,smooth rim.
Everyone follows their grail. Sometimes it is that career that always seems to be years ahead and possible to achieve with just a little more education or preparation. Sometimes it is that relationship, that communion with a person who is The One. Sometimes, it is the touch of a tiny finger that curls around a thumb. Sometimes, it is a whisper of hope in the rustling of the leaves. Sometimes, it is that tiny still place inside that becomes a universe large enough to contain the Divine.