Flowers and Arrows

William wore a hair shirt

somewhere around Italy,

shows you what I know about saints.

Little picture/prayer cards

litter the chaplain’s desk,

flowers and arrows pierce the heart.

a yard and B yard assemblies

at Pelican Bay State Prison,

a melting pot of hot heads

and maimed spirits.

We gather to pray here,

two or more,

the math of heaven.

Just a closer walk;

the forgiven getting up,

time after time, doing time.

We leave one chair open

for who went before,

and who comes after.

Each lost sheep

makes a sound only

The shepherd can hear,

Will Schmit

Will Schmit is a volunteer outreach prison minister for Lifehouse Church in McKinleyville Ca. He is the author of Head Lines A Sixty Day Guide to Personal Psalmistry and Jesus Inside A Prison Minister's Memoir and Training Manual both available at Amazon Books and www.schmitbooks.com. The website also includes poetry, ministry updates, and music downloads from Bring To Glory a CD of spoken word with coffee house jazz.

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