John the Baptist…The New Testament

John the Baptist…The New Testament
A Silver Platter

People came to you—
to your lowly
desert haven
nestled by the sea.

You preached a message
of METANOIA—
a turning of one’s
heart
and one’s mind
to a NEW Way.

You began the preparations.

You revealed ONLY the Truth.
For this you were imprisoned

AND

for this your
head laid on a silver platter.

You chose suffering instead
of falsity, gain, and prestige.

You knew the price
and you chose the deepest treasure
discovered within…

You chose wisely.
The Desert is Holy

If the desert is holy
It is because it is a forgotten place.

That allows us to remember
the sacred.

Perhaps that is why every
pilgrimage to the desert
Is a pilgrimage to the self.

There is no place to hide
And so we are found.

—Tempest Williams