Dust and Ashes

Out of the storm,
surrounded by snow,
we come,
feeling like strangers in an alien land.
... We are made of earth,
built with the same atoms and molecules
as the distant stars,
burning with the heat of life
even in this coldest season.
In us
is the breath of God,
a spirit singing, shining,
seeking the One who made us.
So we gather our dust and ashes
to make a journey
homeward, through the snow,
cherishing this wilderness
for all its beauty,
learning to love more fully, truly,
until this human part of us
returns to earth or stars,
and we rise, redeemed and free,
on our final Easter Day.

--Timothy Haut, February 13, 2013