Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3; Luke 3:4)

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I was going to use a poem I posted

four months ago
for today’s Avent word—
Prepare.

It was going to be my “What’s John Writing?” piece,
but I don’t need John the
Revelator, but the
Baptist.

Only if I write the poem today is the
poem of today.
Can’t make do with one from
the past.

And it makes no difference whether it’s good or not.
Prepare ye the
way of the Lord. Make his
paths straight.

Today is the naming of parts, today we have
the curing of
the ground, if we should have
a care.

We’ve had Heal and Mend, but have we had Cure?—a flock
of lambs new-shorn.
Or maybe it’s a flock
of geese!

The cured ground is naked, a bare wound in the earth.

And it just damned
on me: this poem is about
Baptism.