“...se desvirtúa...(Loses His Virtue/Essence)” (Matt.5:1; with Matt:5:1-12; 13:4,19), Spanish Jerusalem Bible - 1998) 

I had not seen connections in there,
Until the Spanish word prepared
My heart ’bout “Virtue”, “Essence”, “Core
Of who we are” – “In heart, what’s stored?”

Beatitudes – nine flavored-folks
Who come and go; share insights, jokes;
Each have an “essence” honed in past
Which flavors us like salt that’s passed.

For they’re the salty folks in life
Whose souls have grown through struggle, strife;
Who’ve chosen to mature up through
Experience, not just feel blue.

So to each discourse such folks come;
Bring to the table thought, or some
Perspective others had not seen,
Brought now through them, from where they’ve been.

Nine aspects Christ held up that day;
Nine flavors wrought some painful way,
Summed up in “Meekness”, “Mourning heart”
Or “Pure in spirit”; “Mercy’s start”.

Such are the “virtues” these folks are;
They flavor talk; can move us far
Beyond our selfishness and greed,
To see what neighbor-folks still need.

But what if virtue such folks bring
Was lost somehow, so no birds sing
As we emerge from discourse sour,
Unflavored still, devoid of power?

With what shall we folks be restored –
Can sorrow’s gift grow back with word?
Can those who work for peace turn back
To peace-full tasks once they’ve attacked?

“No way”, Christ said, “their flavor’s gone”;
Too bad – take note of what went wrong –
That “se” as particle with verb
Is “did-it-to-themselves” type word.

Where to from here? De-flavored men
And women – un-restored – what then?
“They’re tossed upon the path – then trod
Upon by men, rebuffing the God”.

For paths hard-packed can’t seed-word hear
And understand – for pain and tears
Are what o’er flows in broken sobs,
Trod there by man like garden sod.

It was the verb which showed me this –
“desvirtúa” – “de-virtued sis
Or bro – it matters not, for both
Can toss their virtue, as Christ spoke.

So what is essence of your heart?
Out from your journey, what’s the part
Which, honed and wrought upon within
Your being, slows your neighbor’s sin?

Please bring it to our discourse now;
Please share with us; and show us how
This treasure from your pain in life
Can bless us all; help us live right.

And please don’t feel it all a waste,
Toss out such virtue in your haste
To let the past with all its pain
Stay in the past – trust God again.

Lord, thank You for these words of grace;
Thanks for rich blessings we embrace,
Both in ourselves and from our friends –
May all such virtue bless again.

Thanks Lord for this.

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