I don’t believe in evil as an entity,
some devil animating the doings
of those whose faith is weak.
Instead I imagine evil as a parasite
clinging to fear’s sharp edge.
I watch my county dissolve in anger
carried proudly by people
who claim Christ, although
Jesus asks, “What shall it profit a man
if he gain the whole world
and suffer the loss of his own soul?”
A ray of sunlight takes
eight minutes and twenty seconds
to touch our skin. Maybe
we have to hold the light
through whatever darkness
we’re in, be wicks
resolute despite burning.
Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.