Poetry

A Mustard Seed

Author: Shady George

Publisher: Vision For Future

They burnt down the shop
The day they set fire to houses
Churches and schools
My shop was burnt down as well
Just in front of my eyes
My provisions
My children's food
My living
My resources
Were burnt to a crisp
In a blink of an eye

They put it down with all what it had
Some biscuit packets
Corn snacks cartons
Two bottles of oil
Two matchboxes
But no cigarette packs
I have never sold cigarettes
I used to say
Smoke burns people's chests
Now, should they have burnt down my shop?
The Coca-Cola fridge thawed out
The schoolbag I bought to the kid
For his 1st grade
Was scorched
Also
Two kitchen sponge packs
Some blue bleaching powder
Few tissue paper packs
The two pans balance scale
Even shelves
All burnt down
Nothing is left or even recognized
But why they did so?
What did we do so wrong?
They said because you had your name on it
Simon
I don't know how to write
My 4th grade kid
Drew my name on the wall
With a colored chalk
Simon shop
And frankly, I was pleased with his writing
So they burnt it down
I didn't name myself
But my father used to tell me
We called you Simon
Because it is the name
Of one of Jesus' Disciples
Am I worthy to be named after a disciple of Jesus!
I liked Simon, my name
They said maybe because of your cross tattooed over it?
Would you be a crusader to them?
But People I am not!
It's the sign of the tree
On which my beloved was hanged
Do you want me even not to love ?

If you have seen them
How they were setting fire
You wouldn't believe what you see
Not the same people you used to see
Not the same people you used to see
They were moved & driven
Without heart or mind
By a non human spirit

They said it is a big story!
Big money behind it
Outsiders and a lady ambassador
Did she tell them to burn down
Children's provisions?
Tell the lady ambassador
Since they day the shop was burnt down
Till now
Neither my kids nor I
Slept hungry one day

The priest told me
Your shop and the church became one thing
Their burning is like the prayer incenses
Ascending
to the one in Heaven
And the one in Heaven sees
He is the Judge
He told me: don't forget
Your beloved Jesus
From above the cross
They hanged Him on
To kill Him
From above this cross of death
He asked forgiveness for His killers
Don't forget

I remembered
And was encouraged by his word
I liked this idea of prayer incense
I lifted up my eyes
And said
You see.. You loved me
You didn't spare your own Son and redeemed me
May we all: my wife, kids, shop & I be sacrificed for your sake