Keyhole

Keyhole

Michael Stalcup

But then in that impenetrable door
Which darkens full the end of history’s hall
Was carved a keyhole cast of dust and lore
That casts the stroke of dawn upon the wall.
Now staring at the sight, we see a man
Set bright against death’s dark finality;
And peering through the light we spy his plan:
Our world set right for all eternity.
His body shows the life that we can know
Beyond that door, mysteriously new;
His words are truth who told us long ago:
He is the only way to enter through.
He lights our path whom darkness cannot hold:
Christ is the keyhole, glimpse and gate twofold.

---

Michael Stalcup
Poet & Missionary

Michael is a Thai-American missionary living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poems have been published in Commonweal Magazine, First Things, Sojourners Magazine, and elsewhere. He co-teaches Spirit & Scribe, a workshop integrating spiritual formation and writing craft. You can find his work at michaelstalcup.com.

Photography by Annie Spratt