Apologia for the second millennium

You told us, “go ye therefore, and teach”;
and in our fervid zeal
we preached, we preach and will preach
in a profusion of words and lavish oratory
hoping “the light so shine before men”.

But somewhere it slipped away from us
“that they may see your good works”,
for people to be convinced and to believe.

And now as an apologia
for the second millennium
we “foolish virgins” ask ourselves
what might has been to blame
for our hands to come up empty
the dove wounded,
the houses deserted,
and love frozen within our hearts...

28 Aug. 2004