REDEMPTION

A friend I knew well became a priest and best-selling author.

When I knew him,

He was a nervous, diminutive, smoker of unfiltered Camels.

With a beautiful voice.

And a knack for song writing.

Apparently he had secrets,

That none of us paid attention to.

It is a long journey between then and now.

But maybe I saw it all coming,

When, home from college,

He came to my house for a party.

There was beer and noise,

And music and wonderful girls,

Shouting to be heard.

There in the corner we talked.

Attempting to unleash our insights,

Things we learned in school,

Carried home to be exercised,

Amongst old friends.

He spoke of faith

And asked important questions,

Like “What’s real?” and “What can you really know?”

And spoke of the possibility of religion.

He wasn’t writing songs any more.

Maybe he thought,

If I can’t move you with what’s in me,

I’ll work with God,

And together,

We will move you.

Because it’s what I was born to do.

I will tell stories,

About lost faith and redemption,

And hope that from the inspiration I see in you

I will find my own.