The Age Of Living On The Outside Passed Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

the age of living on the outside passed
one day we moved it all inside
away from the sky, away from the grass
shut the door, bolted the gate
turned all the lights off except
the one lit by faith
like the Magi, we
prepared for an age of winter
we lived on indirect sunlight
starlight under our eyelids
we lived on the light of God
the certainty He is
we drank clear water from the inward fountains
cupped water from the hands of Christ
our food could not spoil
we ate the rice of silence
the memory of love
the courage of those who died
we thought of dreams instead of shelling
we harbored dreams instead of flares
we found that living on the inside
kept us sheltered
everywhere.
mary angela douglas 8 october 2023