Love

I would release God from his name and call him Love

The things men do: the bad-for-other-people things,
done as single deeds by single hearts; bomb dropped,
warnings ignored, face slapped.
And so we are diminished, crush our sins
into a collective noun, humanity.

The things creation does: the making of it all,
relentless life and death, unyielding variation,
quick breath,
extinction,tentative suggestion of eternal soul,
harsh, ice-cold philosophy.

The things Love does, cloaked and disguised,
forgiving all deeds by beauty’s sanction
setting my place at the banquet
holding my hand and guiding my eyes
to scan earth’s silent testimony.

After Love (III) George Herbert (1593-1653)