Paints and Ladders

You gaze upwards at the ceiling
peeling and covered in smoke
from the candles lighted daily
taking prayers to heaven

You shake your head in despair;
              it needs paint                        
yet you are unable to hire a painter;
should you pray for one to appear?

There is a ladder in the room
and buckets of paint, all the right color;
you light a candle and say a silent prayer
to Luca, the patron saint of painters

Morning comes and no painter appears
God has forsaken me;
Not so says a voice
you have been given a ladder and the paint

If the ceiling remains unpainted
it is not the fault of the Lord;
there are as many unpainted ceilings
as there are poor, suffering injustice

You have been given the means
now you must find the will
for unpainted ceilings, poverty and injustice
are not the fault of the Lord.

.

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CityWoman 2012 – Where is your ladder leaning?

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