CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, PROVIDENCE, RI

MOTHER OF GOD

By May Grant

A loving, tragic figure hovers larger than his life.
Such a fine woman, a devout woman.
“Too young, too young,” she coos about his wedding plans.

Hear me, Holy Mother of us all!
Calm that woman’s mourning coo.
Numb her shriek across the universe.
What ugly, deformed character is not exquisite, perfect, to its mother?
Or a long-awaited sibling who surpasses that initial joy?
Multiply it further still by the whispered unbelief of “Twins!”

Watch them grow slowly.
Now watch them wither away.
See the joyous little nursery shrink:
First the daughter,
then the undistinguished “Twins,”
until only the eldest, prized son is left.
What princess qualifies to mate with such a cherished one?
What anxious guest provides some hope?

With hateful, futile logic, I pose the question:
“Could it have been caused at birth by the Rh factor?”
Filled with ancient anguish, bereft,
she dismissed my facile query.

With explosive breaths,
unspeakable grief backs into its lair,
gnawing, gnawing inside,
tingeing every act of love
with stony-pale shade.

A loving, tragic figure hovers over your life.
Such a fine woman, a devout woman.
Hear me, Holy Mother of us all.
Calm that woman’s mourning coo.

May Cornelia Grant has been writing all her life, non-professionally. Her articles have appeared in numerous small magazines and newspapers.

© 2011 May Cornelia Grant

Haiku to Mary

By George Delany

Through my Protestant
Lens you appear so dimly
Occupy my heart

George Delany

George Delany is an artist, designer and co-instigator behind many special projects at Central Church – including this website.

From Mary

By Kathy Lowe Hart

“Really, God? You chose me?
But why?
I’m ordinary, young, uneducated,
Not married.
Why me for such a task?”

Then comes understanding.
Not the answer to WHY, but just THE answer:
“I am not alone in this,
And nothing is impossible with God.”

At worst, it’s terrifying,
At best, sobering………
And eventually joy-filled
To be selected for God’s service.

We are all Mary.
Accept being chosen,
For nothing is impossible with God.

Kathy Hart

Kathy Hart is the Director of Music at Greenwood Community Church, Presbyterian in Warwick, RI, where she is organist and directs the Chancel Choir, a teen/adult handbell group, and an elementary singing/ringing choir. She writes/arranges sacred music and is a soprano in The Providence Singers. Kathy has been a member of Central’s Caring/Sharing Group for several years.

Poem for a Blue Page

By Janet Jagger

Once in a moon
Blue, Joni’s best, saddest
Songs are tattoos.

Baby blues and blue babies,
Postpartum hues
From powder to midnight, blues.

Little boy blue
Now fills his horn
With dusky blues,
The black man’s song.

Summer mothers paint blue shutters,
And reap the blueberry barrens,
A sky like Mary’s robe.

Janet Jagger

Janet Jagger writes memoir and poetry. She is also a mother, wife, reader, volunteer, business partner and antiques dealer. After working for many years in Development and Museum Events at RISD, she continues as a Museum Associate. At Central Congregational Janet manages The Bursting Pomegranate, a shop selling gifts and crafts from artisans in developing countries. She is part of the Thursday Writers Group of Little Compton.

“Poem for a Blue Page” was written for a poetry class at Brown in 2004; all students were given this title and asked to write a poem for it. This is Janet’s riff on “blue.”

Mary

By The Rev. Claudia Demick

Sing praises to God little  Mary.
Sing songs of acceptance of God’s presence.
Sing what God has done  for you
And for all the generations
Of humanity.
You do not  sing
Of what God has done to you–
Not you!
In your child-like  wisdom
You see
That God’s Incarnation
Through you
Is for  you
And for all.
The lowly are raised up!
The poor are no longer  invisible!
Their cries have been heard,
And a Savior will  come
Through you, gentle girl.
A Savior for them,
And for you,
For  all…
Blessed be God’s name indeed!
And blessed be you, dear  Mary.
Blessed are you
For  saying,
“Yes!”

Claudia Demick

Claudia Demick is an Associate Minister at Central Church. She holds degrees in music and education, has a Master of Divinity, and (has just recently) earned her Doctor of Ministry degree.