Ordinary Saints

“Birds of Paradise” by Vicente Manansala

 

none are so tender
as those who shed tears
for the pain of a child
for suffering innocence

none are so selfless
as those who give succor
where want is abroad
where despair keeps the clock

none are so loving
as those who raise prayer
for a peaceable world
for the gentlest of journeys

none are so human
as those whose compassion
informs every motive
informs every action they take

these unprepossessed souls
these rare undivine spirits
reveal to the rest of us
pathways to grace

 

 

From my book Small Noise