POEM, Rutledge:  On the Fourth Day

By Jeremy Rutledge, special to Charleston Currents

On the fourth day
of physical therapy
the material
turned to metaphor

all of us working
to find our weaknesses
and give them
our attention.

So much laughter
from those
having trouble
maintaining balance

or holding that side plank
for ten seconds more
as an arm quivers
under the strain.

But the only way
to address our pain
is to find the weakness
causing it.

Would that it were so
in our faith
and politics.
Can you imagine

if instead of hiding
our pain
and denying
our weaknesses

we worked on them
every day
all of us together
laughing?

Jeremy Rutledge is the senior minister at Circular Congregational Church in Charleston and the co-president of the Charleston Area Justice Ministry. Jeremy was formally educated in philosophy and theology. While living in Houston, he studied with the Inprint community of poets and writers.