Window Washing Baptized

If the shepherd knows him as the gate for the sheep,

and the mason knows him as the stone for the corner;

if the baker then learns of that kingdom through yeast,

and the farme too learns through the scattering of seeds,

then this writer can know him through poems and rhyme,

and a programer can find him in software and typing.

The preschool attendant in listening to children.

The waiter in service. The doctor in diagnosing.

The carpenter in planing. The pilot in lift.

The mechanic in engines, and the chef in sautéing.

And the washer of windows in mere polished panes,

which wink in the sunlight reflective yet sheer,

can find in his trade of water and glass

a reflection of truth unique to his trade

that hints of this God both hidden and near.

All hand occupations and mind cogitations

are tools of intention to unveil the glories

that hand, eye, and ear cannot yet thus hear

without a baptism drenching earth in God signs:

the protractor, printer, paint brush and broom,

the wine press, the garden, the cross, and the tomb.

Abby's Alley