Baptism by Fire

From "Let Me Drown with Moses"

The temple is burning to ash
Because a boy saw a pillar of fire

Now let the worshipers wander in the desert
Casting shadows in the light of a bush God burns

Someday we’ll make a bushel of this city
Will you still see, beneath it, a glimmer of candlelight?

Any blaze can grow tall in the evening  
Save your awe for the morning warmth of the coals 

One moment I’m a zealot on the roadside
The next, I’m speaking with a tongue of flame

Was there ever a beginning? I’ll ask you
Or a time without your spark?

Open your books in the darkest night
To read God’s word by lightning

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Originally published in Let Me Drown with Moses