"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.