The Eternal Breathing of Years

The Eternal Breathing of Years

Blake Randolph

“We bring an end to our years as a sigh….so teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom” — Psalm 90:9, 12

Another year is exhaled
in the eternal breathing of years
by Time, chronological colossus
that hosts our stay on this side of the
thunderous divide.
The 31st day of the 12th month comes
and the mundanity of a Thursday is
imbued, by chance encounter with the breathing of time,
with the tingling anticipation of opportunity.
We hope we can be made new in only
12 hours or so.
Indrawn breath and then exhaling again with me
and all of Time’s weighty frame.

There are years exhaled as
a shout,
pounding and
clawing their way into eternity
in the violence of rapture or lament.
Others, as this one,
Sigh
and with grateful hearts resign their weariness
into the arms of God.
Open hands with me, sigh,
count your years,
prepare another yearly dwelling
by grace with our ever-ready
Home for all generations.
Word dwelling, tenting again and again
among our vaporous years.

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Blake Randolph
Poet

Photography by Eastlyn & Joshua Tolle