To Kevin: Newly a Missionary

By Marden Clark

You stand before the gates of paradox

In quest for life. You dream deep autumn dreams

Of white: Behold the field! If tares or rocks

Be there they hide beneath the fruited gleams

Of lives you seek. And yet to save your life

You cannot know the life you seek—or yield—

Can only know it lies beyond your reach,

Beyond your self, but somewhere in the field.

I stand behind your dreams and know the tares

And rocks but also know the Rock. And know

How few the lives you’ll find in losing yours,

How much of you must go into the flow

Of self that harvests precious heads of grain

Including yours: Kneel, pray, and enter in.