Resurrection

Resurrection

Riley Bounds

Matthew 27:51-54

Light begot fire
that day.
I saw the spines
of mountains
crack down,
the silent sand shock
and edging
blast
that took horses
off their feet.
Buildings buckled
down around us
like tents
into themselves,
and the ground roared
up at us.
Then a lull.
Little crumblings,
disembodied screams.
Soot clouded water.
The tranquility
of disaster,
the settle
of hell.

From the dust and rupture
they emerged
as from
some inconsummate
womb,
their burial linens
sloughing
like vernix,
bodies held together
by holier
tendons.
Those from Hinnom
came walking fire,
puss eyes dripping down
like talc,
garbage melted
to their charred
muscle.
They saw with
providence.
They passed us
without shalom
and ascended
the steps
to the riven
temple,
filing into
the vestibule,
and they stood there
in a circle,
heads down
like reverence,
perhaps praying.
I watched them,
and in the shadows
the one
farthest from
me
raised his veiled
head
in my
direction.

From behind the temple
an eagle took flight,
migrating north
where it will
light
on prophecy.

---

Riley Bounds
Poet & Editor of Solum Literary Press

Riley Bounds’ work has appeared or is forthcoming in Amethyst Review, This Present Former Glory: An Anthology of Honest Spiritual Literature, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, and Saccharine Poetry, among others.  He is Editor of Solum Literary Press and its imprint Solum Journal.  He earned a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is currently pursuing an MA in Philosophy from Talbot School of Theology with plans to continue into doctoral study.

Photography by Lina Verovaya