A poem for Easter
by
Carolyn Temte
Colloquy On New Life
Between
Ezekiel
& Carolyn
A new heart I will give you,
A heart of clay
To shape, to mold
To give form as I desire
And a new spirit I will put within you;
A spirit of joy
A spirit of tolerance
A spirit of compassion
and I will remove from your body the heart of stone
A heart hardened with fear
A heart overrun with doubt
A heart heavy with grief
and give you a heart of flesh
A heart open to all things
One overflowing with gratitude
One filled with grace
I will put my spirit within you,
A spirit of undying love
A spirit with wings
So I may fly as never before
And make you follow my statutes
Do the right thing because it is right
Respect the earth and its bounties
Love one another with or without understanding
And be careful to observe my ordinances
Rejoice in a new heart
Fill it with the ecstasy of me
Give it flight, let it soar among the heavens!
♥ ♥ ♥
Copyright @2011, 2013 Carolyn Temte
Ref: Ezekiel 36:26-27a
Carolyn Temte wrote this poem after the death of her beloved husband Ragnar. She told me that she wrote it in one evening “to help keep me from falling off the edge of the earth.”
Because of the way this poem intertwines grief, loss, and soaring new life, it sure feels like Easter to me.
Blessings on every heart,
Margaret
In the Courtyard 
This is so moving and makes scripture sing to me. It will be copied and read again and again. To have such beauty and depth come from such sorrow—thank you for sharing this with us.
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Thanks Janet. I agree — Ezekiel sings in this poem.
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Thank you, Janet, for your very kind words. It is my privilege to share these thoughts with you. My greatest joy in writing is connecting with a person –perhaps giving them hope, peace and comfort. I hope Ezekiel and I given this to you and that it continues when the need arises.
carolyn
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A prophet is someone who, literally, speaks forth. In the Judeo-Christian tradition a prophet is an inspired teacher (NOT somebody who can “tell the future”). Ezekiel was indeed a prophet. So, Carolyn, are you. Thank you!
Margaret, I’m with you! This is really what Easter is about – a new heart for each of us. Once that old stoney heart is gone, it need never return. But we’re human! We need to remember all over again each year so that some more forming can be done to our hearts. Goodness, Carolyn says it so beautifully!
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Thank you, Brad for your compliments and your confidence. I think Ezekiel deserves much more credit than I. Second chances are wonderful and we each have that with each new day. I am happy to share my thoughts with you.
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Carolyn that was a wonderful and insightful poem. It shares hope and love
– and renewal.
Allison
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Thank you, Allison. I have some wonderful supportive friends. I couldn’t have made it without you.
Carolyn
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I am grateful for this website and this poem. I am encouraged by the hopeful spirit of the poem. Thank you. Sharon Lia Robinson
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Thank you, Sharon.
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Sharon, I wrote this poem in one of life’s darkest times. It gave me courage and hope. Two years later in moments of snarled and tangled thoughts, I read it. Soon all the snarls are gone and I can move forward. It is my privilege to share this courage and hope with you.
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Margaret,
It will be ten years in December since Ragnar died. I still miss him and I still read Ezekiel and Carolyn. It gives me encouragement to enjoy each new day I am given on this earth.
Thank you for keeping Ezekiel and me In the Courtyard.
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Bless you, Carolyn, and thanks for sharing your beautiful colloquy with us. Wishing Easter joy for you and all our readers.
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Carolyn and Margaret, I react pretty much as I did seven years ago – and goodness, the world was a bit different then! Today, this Resurrection Day, your prophetic voice reassures me that with the Spirit of Life, our God, I can fly and so can my heart! Two different but mutually interdependent essentials! Thank you again.
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Thanks, Brad. I’m with you on that.
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I’m really enjoying the renewed activity in The Courtyard.
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Thanks, Rose. The flurry is just for Easter — don’t expect me to keep up the pace!
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Brad It is good to “hear” your voice again. The Divine Spark in us fanned by the Spirt of Life gives one the ability to rebuild oneself and blaze new trails after one of life’s inevitables. I think the secret is to grasp the ability and hang on. All things are possible.
I, too, like the new activity in The Courtyard. Great to meet old friends!
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