Galatians 5:1, 13-25

free to hate,
   let us choose to love;
free to fear,
   help us to trust;
free to reject others,
   let us open our arms
   as you open yours to us;
free to be bitter,
   let us overflow
   with grace;
free to doubt,
   let us continue
   to see the seeds
         of the Spirit
   bearing fruit.

(c) 2016 Thom M. Shuman

the babysitter (Galatians 3:23-29)

so engrossed with
making sure that we
   toe the
      line,
   keep our souls
      spotless,
   learn every jot
   and tittle of the
      rules,
before sending us
off to bed without a
         snack,
the babysitter
never notices
you
   sneaking into our
   rooms, and
with a shushing finger
to your lips,
   tiptoe us out
into the firefly-spackled
      evening
where we twirl and
twirl in circles until
collapsing in the dew,
watching the dawn
color the morning sky.

(c) 2016 Thom M. Shuman