Issue 03 · One poem
Baptized
Water, covenant, and the name written on the heart.
I stepped in to the water;
I descended one by one.
The ripples on the water traveled,
As gentle as a setting sun.
Slowly I raised my head,
To see your face a glow.
There are not words to describe;
My feeling began to flow.
Then I clasped your hand,
And led you down the steps.
God, his will he'd been doing,
That you and I had met.
When I gazed upon you,
You were dressed all in white.
My mind cannot recall,
A Single more beautiful sight.
Your eyes with love were glowing,
Your hands twitched nervously.
As I held you closely to me,
All fears were soon set free.
Next I bowed my head,
And raised my arm to the square.
Then I closed my eyes,
And said a humble prayer.
I baptized you with water,
And brought you forth again.
I remembered watching you come up,
The water rolling off of your skin.
Then at you I gazed,
Longing to hold you near.
At that moment I knew why,
On my mission I'd been sent here.
“Washed clean in living water.”
Baptized
§Clark J. Madsen - March 17, 1994