What Was Said

This is what Jesus said
to the deaf man: Ephphatha.
Be opened. This is what Jesus said.
This is what a painter said of love:
he said, Love is paying attention.
This is what the painter said.
Another, I forget who, said,
You can trust the present. That
is what she said. And as for faith,
one says, It is a verb, another says,
It is resting in the gamble, while for another
it is traveling miles and days
to that great and final lion
to be consumed — what an honor! —
consumed to the very bones.