Felisa M. (Hervey) Dyrud
Felisa lives in Cambridge, MA with husband Peter. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the Humanities from the U.S. Air Force Academy and Master of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Friday
Foreshadowed in the glaring, cursing clouds
I saw my Love, I saw his lifeblood poured
out on the thirsty ground like scarlet rain,
eyes spilling love on ridiculing crowds,
on blinded wielder of God-murdering sword
on wilt-eyed mother writhing in her baby’s pain
and scuttling gambler who triumphant rose
to sieze the Lord’s strange earth-worn clothes.
While, scourged by nine-fanged hounds of Roman guards
brow torn, adorned with crown of thorny shards
he heard the drowning swamp of mocking cries
he saw and loved them from his blood-shot eyes,
choked out for them a wrenching prayer aloud…
Broad midnight struck, a heaving quake. The shroud.
Saturday
You might, if you’ve lost a Love to gritty nails
of Death, and if you watched him writhe while they,
unseeing, scraped away his love-spent life;
you might then recognize the haunting jails
wallpapered with the horror scenes, replay-
ing and replaying; you might know what it’s like
to be an empty hole without his face,
to be a gaping mouth, its teeth erased.
Dazed trudging. Suddenly ‘home.’ It’s not the same
though. So is… nothing. (You remember too.)
Do you sweep, mend socks, try to eat a name-
less tasteless meal brought by a well-meaning friend?
Do you weep, try to stop, curl up to freeze the cruel
impassive world? Do you SCREAM tear out your hair
run to his favorite haunts? But he’s not, not there.
Sunday
Another morning yelled. Be quiet, I thought,
don’t come. But grief-numbed and lids heavy, I
still longed to do love’s part. At least go through
the motions. Spill more tears with spices. So
I turned my taut steps grave-ward, rain-spent eyes
dull-fixed, trying idly to tidy the soul-fought
commotion of hands that gave the future back
to beggars, lepers, maniacs—now… slack.
But wait. Is that the one? Began to run
up to the cave. Its door was clear, no stone,
no guards, where was he?! Sudden panic stunned
me as I stepped inside to see a lone
stranger, quartz-clad, beaming past my fear
to shock me more: Why seek the living here?