a friend at midnight

parables in poetry

tap tap
the heavy hand of an adult
splinters the old door
where the marks of a child
once renewed it

bread is baking
in a hungry mouth
ashamed to cross the threshold
but how can anyone 
withstand the scent?

Scold me! Neighbor
for waking You.
Oh, portal to the mirror sky—

seldom I return
to the tongue threshing oak
yet, always 
You answer

---

Facade Mission House by Cornelius Christoffels

---

Luke 11

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

---

If you like this, check out:

This poem about a different perspective, one of moth and wings.

Moth Pit

---