lazarus (John 11:1-45)

handcuffed
  by those foolish
              fears
        we have of being
     left on our own,
swaddled
  in the cool enbrace
        of our misunderstandings
     about why he came,
hampered
  by the chains
              of sin and death
        dogging him every
            step,
he stands weeping at
the now-empty tomb
                      until
     he hears the Voice
              cry out,
  'unbind him and let him go . . .

           . . .to Jerusalem'

and he turns
  and goes,
                 hoping not to
         stumble
  along the way.

(c) 2011  Thom M. Shuman