What Brings You Joy?

At a recent meeting, actress and poet Patricia Alice Albrecht asked each of us to each answer the provocative and unexpected question: "What brings you joy?" Knowing the group was a fairly liberal mix, I found myself tongue-tied, afraid my heart-felt reply about God and faith might be perceived as just another "right-wing conservative Christian tea-bagger extremist." That IS the kind of response Christians often elicit on discussion boards and in the media these days, no matter how innocuous our statements. Here is what was going on in my head when asked the question:

What Brings You joy?

"What brings you joy?" she asked
And in my head a choir of angels sang
The planets spun as I sat still
Blessed by the bloody mercy of the cross
Divine death born of love

Love bestowed on me not
Through a mother's lullaby
Or a father's happy laughter
Love with me although much has passed me by
Love that colors my too-many sorrows
With prisms of light catching rainbows
Through life's pitiless rains

There is a God who knows me
Who feels me even when I don't feel Him
Never letting me forget that feelings--
Or lack of them--can deceive
Who is always with me, felt or unfelt

"What brings you joy?" The constellations twirled
As I, tongue-tied, apologized for my faith
But could not deny "There is a God
Who knows and loves me --
I am not alone."

The galaxies moved as seraphim sang
The praises my poor tongue could not express
As I sat mute, shamed by my clumsy faith
While wishing I could utter words of grace.

Related poem:
There Is No God
More of My Poetry on AC/Yahoo