they stare strangely now at her

 Alone in the familiar pew

for now is one

when once was two.

She Pardons those who see her in black

And takes her seat with the sinners in the back.

“How do you do? ”

She replies “I do I do”

As She greets the saints from pew to pew.

“She’s not the same? ” “why she looks sorta lame ?”

Gossip echoes “It’s such a pitiful shame!”

To her they say “How do you do ?”

“I do . I do” She nods to folks two by two

While others say ” She’s growing old, a pitiful sight”

She whispers against their mask ” I’m beautiful in white ”

“And soon” she thinks ” I’ll dust the dust off my train”

“There must be a place where widows are not left in vain.”

She sits in the back rows with the hoboes and hoes

Where her twisted Kleenex soon makes garters for foes

Where the comfortable blink and wink at her plight.

“Poor one ” they think “can barely put a single doubt to flight”!

oh, pitiful bird with one wing,

broken bottle without oil

Cistern Of hope broken in toil

Oh better half now gone from the Whole

Oh better half “our intentions are for his soul.”

Soon a Bright Light pours upon them all

As The Divine illuminates the widows new call

Appearing Alone in this familiar back pew

They can only see one

when suddenly she sees two

Next to her is this one with a radiant ring

And a “I do I do ” is The only song she can sing

To Him whose eyes are as the jasper morning star

From His chrism anew , He fills oil in her jar.

Soon Turning every head and crushing all proud hearts

His Voice speaks “nothing ends where I start”

Tears drown the days of the demons final foil  

And joy now buries and rests all her terrors and toil

Finally she lifts her head up the years behind her veil

And announces with Him whom she loves “hell will not prevail.”

Then suddenly the Black dress becomes Radiant white

And every curse and judgement of others is put to flight.

“How do you do/”

“I do I do ” she tells them pew to pew.

NOTES:

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭62:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/isa.62.4.esv

There is one who marries the widow. He pursues her all the more fiercely when she entrusted to no other but Him. And so it is that the Lord tells the church to watch after the widows. Perhaps not so much for the sake of her, for she has the Perfect Husband. But for the sake of the church that they may see Jesus and His Bride the Church ever more clearly.