Mary C. O'Malley

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The Deposition: A Giving of Witness

Off center,
the dead Messiah
is embraced
by a crowd
of females,
gathered in
grief; watching
with the female
gaze of life. All
within a
barren scene
of hard rock,
dead trees.

Acrobatic angels dressed
in rose
and peacock blue, free
fall from
rain full clouds.
their faces
sainted with tears.

And on
the right the
men stand repulsed.
They see
their dead hero
dead as
a criminal but
cannot touch him.

Only John,
in Venetian red
stretches his hand
As if to
break the feared
circle. They
are frozen. Like
those other disciples
hiding in
daylight roped together.
Invisible as
their presence in
the picture.

Christ head rests
in the
lap of Mary
arrayed in
biblical virgin blue
a crown encircled,
made by
worn maternal hands.

Mary of
Magdela, robed in
gold, cradles
once anointed feet.


Bio:
I am published both online in venues such as Box Care Review and in print in anthologies,zines, and readings. I have a MSW and MFA and five children.


(author retains copyright)