Friday, April 13, 2012

Poetry Friday: John Updike


Seven Stanzas at Easter 
by John Updike

Make no mistake: if He rose at all
it was as His body;
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.

It was not as the flowers,
each soft Spring recurrent;
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled
eyes of the eleven apostles;
it was as His flesh: ours.

The same hinged thumbs and toes,
the same valved heart

(Read the rest here, and thanks again, Atticus, for the idea.)

~~~~~

The Poetry Friday round up is at Booktalking.

7 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

This poem always delights me with its sheer unexpectedness.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

This was new to me and took some thought. Very real though - the weight of that stone!

GatheringBooks said...

I've been looking for poems that would capture the essence of Easter last week, you sure hit the jackpot here. Thank you for sharing.

Betsy Hubbard said...

I agree, very thought provoking. Thanks for sharing this poem.

Ruth said...

Wow. I never read that one before. Wonderful!

Melanie Bettinelli said...

Oh that first stanza just makes my heart leap. I'd almost forgotten this one, though I know I've seen it before. Did you share it before? I do think this is just about as perfect an Easter poem as I can ever hope for. Thanks so much for sharing it. And so glad I finally got round to it while it is still Easter. He is Risen! Alleluia!

Karen Edmisten said...

I don't think I've shared this one before. I'd read it before, but it was Atticus' idea to share it for Easter. I can't believe I could forget such a heart leaper, Melanie! Updike always had a way of surprising me.