Poetry
Bright (2023)
You were tired,
So I let you rest your head on my shoulder.
A comfort that I had all but forgotten.
A peace that I won’t feel for a long time.
You breathing softly,
I drumming my fingers on my bag
As to fight the compulsion to hold your hand.
Time became intangible again.
Exchanging body heat,
Watching the lights go by,
The irritating screech of the subway,
All but went away.
In that moment
It was just you and me,
Sitting in eternity
That only lasted a second.
Until our rude awakening,
The cart emerging from underground,
The unholy beams of the lord,
Blasting directly into our retinas.
Rosenkranz, Patrick. “Sunny Subway.” Unsplash, 2021.
Tomato (2023)
Ripe, plump and full of potential
You could be anything you want to
Sweet little tomato
The utmost humble.
And yet you chose to be a vegetable.
Inside you’re so much grander
Far stronger
You could be the greatest pizza
Or pasta
Or the secret,
In a spice cake
Special to savour,
Bursting full of flavour.
And yet you chose to be cubed by a chopper.
Mixed up with the carrots, corn and odd cucumber
They will never know you
Sweet, sad, squishy tomato.
Image Credit: Altindas, Deniz. “Tomato Bowl.” Unsplash, 2015.
A Notebook and Pens (2025)
As published in the St. David's United Church Newsletter
The most profound things can occur
from the smallest and simplest of gestures.
The sapling among oaks,
A situation I was certainly no stranger.
Where are the children?
I wish I knew.
Despite each passing moon,
The little girl longed for someone
To play with and share faith.
What business do I have here?
I was given a notebook and pens
Purple, blue, pink and green,
The Sunday after that council meeting.
Welcoming works in tandem with belonging.
It’s not a speech or a motion passed.
It’s more than a policy or a box checked.
It’s making someone feel comfortable,
In an otherwise uncomfortable situation.
The sharing of old memories
And the invitation to create new ones.
When the choir sings the declaration,
All are welcome in this place!
We mean it.
Image Credit: Arega, Henock. “Inside of a Beautiful Empty Church.” Unsplash, 2025.