SWEET AND SOUR

I recently came across a yellowing book of poetry by Louis Hemmings on my bookshelf called Seeds, and published in 1977.Louis was back then at the forefront of efforts to encourage evangelical believers to express themselves in artistic forms,and he visited Limerick on a few occasions in the pursuit of same.I’m afraid I lost contact with Louis over the years and I believe he is presently engaged in an online theological bookshop, and probably still writing I presume.If perchance Louis you come across this piece in your web explorations,do stop by and say hello.This poem from Seeds is a particularly powerful one on the most important subject of all-the precious blood of Jesus - GOSh. -

BREAKING OF BREAD

I have often swallowed the broken bread
dry and small, it is hard to swallow
if I fully understand all that you said,
if I eat surely a suffering must follow.

I have often let the wine of the cup,
the rim of the cup, touch my lip,
in my halting hands I hold it up
and slant it slightly so to sip.

Your blood is sometimes sweet, sometimes sour,
it is red, it is raw, it is real,
it was shed for our salvation, for our
hardened hearts, Lord my soul bears your seal.

Louis Hemmings