It Doesn't Look Like Anybody's Treasure...

Photo credit: borntoblaze.org

THIS OLD BIBLE

It’s not one of those expensive

gold edged, leather bound volumes

Its margins are filled

with scrawled notations

gleaned from personal revelations

and years of teaching

under Jonathan and Wayne

There are yellow highlights

asterisks, exclamation points, arrows

underlines, sometimes double underlines

sometimes double underlines in red ink

There are little line drawings, dates

Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic

transliterations, translations

prayers copied on blank pages in front

prayer cards tucked in its pages

bookmarks, tracts

a few notes and letters

Its pages have lost their brightness

from handling and caressing

they’ve absorbed tears

illuminated joys

There are jagged pen slips

from dozing

many index labels have fallen off

Its spine has been repaired

again and again

It doesn’t look like anybody’s treasure

When I pass on

there might be a little money

property, some poems

There might be a few pieces

of inexpensive jewelry

You’ll rummage through

the way we did when Grandpa died

when lots of things were thrown in dumpsters

lots of things were divided up and given away

You may be tempted to toss this book

but, no, no, I know you’ll know

this old battered Bible

is the most valuable possession

I’ll leave behind

Maude Carolan