Poetry

Shrapnel

Bruce Dawe

Contents - Aug 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Census 2006: 'No religion' up, Christians down Lex orandi: Benedict XVI's liturgical armistice: 'Summorum Pontificum' - Fr Glen Tattersall Events: LATIN MASS CELEBRATIONS - Melbourne and Sydney University: Australian Catholic students' conference: 'an inspiring experience' - Br Barry Coldrey News: The Church Around the World World Congress of Families: grass roots ecumenism at work - Babette Francis Society: Defending faith and reason in public life - Eamonn Keane Catholics and the pornography epidemic - Bishop Robert Finn Why Catholic parents choose home-schooling - Leslie Sammut Obituary: Death of distinguished Australian philosopher John Ziegler - John Young Catholic students' joyful encounter with the Church's sacred music treasury - Gabrielle Walsh Letters: Vatican II infallible? - Frank Mobbs Letters: Stem cell 'debate' - Chris Hilder Letters: Breath of hope - Terry and Rosemary McDonnell Letters: Catholic politicians - Patricia Halligan Letters: Truth and courage - Errol P. Duke Letters: 'Staunch' Catholics? - Frank Bellet Letters: Study leave - Eamonn Keane Poetry: Shrapnel - Bruce Dawe Letters: Combating AIDS - Franklin J. Wood Letters: Education campaign - Henry Erftemeyer Letters: Fixing the schools - G. Brian Bibby DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: Jesus of Nazareth: Baptism to Transfiguration, by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: The World's First Love, by Fulton J. Sheen - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books Reflection: The Assumption: how the Christian arts honour the Virgin Mary

Wherever you look there's Bethlehem and Golgotha;
Crowds deafen many Jerusalems with their cries;
Mary the Mother of God and Mary of Magdala
Are passing along the street before our eyes.

In upper rooms the latest disciples are meeting,
Breaking together both leavened and unleavened bread;
The prodigal son, the rich man (Dives) and Lazarus
Pose questions of mercy and justice for us, instead.

Barabbas is getting the nod, big-talking Peters
Are eating their words on this evening's bulletin;
Samaritans daily surprise us, driven by compassion,
Attend the wounded, pay for them at the inn.

Judas is alive and well and doing business
On many a committee still in many a land,
While Doubting Thomases everywhere must verify
The wound in the side by thrusting in a hand.

* * *

The shrapnel of the Christian gospels is now embedded
In the very flesh of metaphor, there to stay,
Where all o' the surgeons of scepticism can't remove it,
Though they ply assiduous scalpels night and day.

Bruce Dawe

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 7 (August 2007), p. 15