Parlor Crucifix

by Gretchen K. Phillips

Gold, but charcoal charred
Twisting, turning
Lacey wires
A plunging pierce through outstretched arms

Eternity infusing dust
Pointed penetration
Proving the worth of clay
That follows the maker’s hands

Complexity of pattern and design
Felt by the heart
More than understood by the mind
The mystery of the vertical in the horizontal
The everlasting in the temporary

A flash of recognition
When creator intersects Creation

Spirit in flesh
Fire in mud
The impossible crystallized in faith
Here where the space between is thin

HPWP Writer’s Retreat
Ellis Store in Lincoln, NM
April 2010