The Demand to Be Polished (a poem)

They say polished will do the job.

Organic, authentic, true?

Sorry, that's not quite trending.

Cancelled, or ousted?

Try - Polished.

A shiny business card, polished teeth, polished shoes…

That will definitely do.

Presentation is king, you see; they say

Facebook, Instagram and X

They have set the bar

And of course, we all must bow

Or, Burn!

Obedience, excellence?

Sorry, those don't cut it here

Only Polished.

Hmmm...

Okay, oblige me here

Can you polish creation?

The sunshine

The moonlight

The rainbow

The stars?

Or, the ocean, the deer, the flowers of spring

Or, the newborn life

Or, Wisdom of the Divine?

A Babe born in a manger’s dirt

A king, a warrior, a field, a shepherd boy with sheep

A  Saviour nailed to a Roman cross

Battered, bruised. Black. Blue.

A Tomb Empty with no human clue.

But, Polished?

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection -Michelangelo

When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” - Ezekiel 13:12

by

elizabeth o. david