"Sixth Station" A Poem by Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ

Taken from the book "Smile the Sun Around My Heart"
The Collection of Poems of Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ.

Sixth Station

The dark has lifted

for a moment now,

and film of dirt and sweat,

blurring His eye focus

to make crazy patterns on the road,

he cleared.

Too cool clean cloth

feels sweet against His face -

He remembers His mother

had the same gentleness in her touch

when she had washed from Him

the grime a child's play made,

these many years ago,

and held a fresh white towel

close. This towel, too He sees 

is white.

The road no longer blurs

and rocks before His eyes.

He tries to smile a little 

across the pain that cracks His lips,

and hands the woman's kerchief

back to her.

His dark eyes look, then, into hers.

He leaves remembrance

of HIs gratitude indelible

upon her towel's whiteness, and carries

indelible upon His Heart

Veronica's gentle act of courtesy.

~   Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ

Note: Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.  Today's blog post is a poem taken from the book "Smile the Sun Around My Heart" The Collection of Poems of Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ.  Sr. Marheineke (1917-2013) was a 1934 alumna of the Academy of Saint Charles.  If you wish to purchase a copy of Sr. Marheineke's collection of poems look under the heading on the right "Books by Sacred Heart Alum Authors" and click on the link to her book.

A poem by Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ (1917-2013)

Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ
(1917-2013)

Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ died peacefully on August 14, 2013 at the Society of the Sacred Heart retirement community (Oakwood) in Atherton, California.  She was born in Missouri on December 27, 1917 to Joseph and Genevieve Kaemmerien Marheineke.  Anna Mae was the oldest of her seven siblings: Kathleen, June, Joseph, Genevieve, John, Mary and James.  All the Marheineke girls would attend the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles.   Anna Mae entered the Novitiate in Kenwood (Albany, N.Y.) and made her first profession of vows in 1944.  To read her obit and further details on Anna Mae's incredible life go to www.rscj.org

Tota Pulchra Es

Like a Rose Plant in Jericho,
  fragrantly fair
and sweet beyond power of telling,
as thy heart, dearest Mother,
where a love song of prayer
in praise of thy wee Son is welling.

Like a Palm Tree in Cades
  brushing the blue,
serene in the silence of morning,
is the peace in thy smile
the long Nazareth days through,
Thy joy their bright hours adorning. 

Like a Cypress on Sion,
  steadfast and still,
Thy courage and calm we would borrow;
for Thy love, Queen of Martyrs,
has been oned with God'd will,
made strong with a strength born of sorrow.

From The Collected Poems of Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ

Note:  If you wish to purchase a copy of Sr. Marheineke's collection of poems look under the heading on the right "Books by Sacred Heart Alum Authors" and click on the link to her book.

Easter Verse - A Poem by Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ

Beautiful Golden Yellow Jonquils

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.  Today's blog post is a poem taken from the book "Smile the Sun Around My Heart" The Collection of Poems of Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ.  Sr. Marheineke is a 1934 alumna of the Academy of Saint Charles and currently resides in California at the Oakwood Retirement Community. 

Easter Verse

Early this morning
a jonquil bloomed.
Such glory gazed 
from its golden cup.
I knew at once
the sun was up.
Amazed, 
I gathered flower and sun,
held them a moment 
in the shining grace of one
holy mystery of light.
So must Easter be
in its bright
blaze of resurrected Life.

--- Anna Mae Marheineke, RSCJ

Note:  If you wish to purchase a copy of Sr. Marheineke's collection of poems look under the heading on the right "Books by Sacred Heart Alum Authors" and click on the link to her book.