The Face of God Shine Upon Me

When I was young and meek
I would sit and stare into the outer darkness
scanning the skyline, watching the moonlight
shinning across eternity, waiting to see,
just for a short while, no matter how brief,
the face of God shine upon me.

And as I stood and prayed, looking up and away
into the night sky, my father would whisper and say,
ever so sternly,
     “son, let me help you see,
     no matter how briefly,
     the face of God shine
     as you are seeking.”

And blessed be his soul,
for God only knows
time and time again
he would try to help me see,
just for a short while,
the face of God shine upon me.

He would stand near, watching, as a guardian angel
watching over one of God's earthly sons;
trying to help me see the light
as I knelt before God;
hands clasped,
head bowed,
thinking
     - maybe this time,
     just for a short while,
     the face of God will shine upon me.

And as my father gazed into my eyes,
reassuring me with his every breath,
that this time, unlike the last,
he would bring me closer,
if even only for a short while,
to see the God face shine up on me.

As my father began to help me see,
he would carelessly beat me,
until my blood filled gaze
was drenched with unrelenting pain
     crushing,
     bruising,
     breaking my skin
     over and over and over again,
and in that moment of time,
he would surely try to help me see,
if even only for a short while,
the face God shine up on me.

And when my breath was barely left,
my life would pass before my eyes;
     ready to fade,
     no strength remained;
          drifting, from this world
          into the next,
          with my last breath spent,
               the face of God has finally
               shined upon me.

The Face of God Shine Upon Me
 by K. Saitta © 2014, A Walk In Verse