Poem for the first Sunday in Lent

Why she says “Yes”

Lent is not a fast time,
but a measured long to last time,
a somewhat lean but clean time,
a useful in between time.

Lent is not a false time,
nor a masked ball or fancy waltz time,
it’s not a rough and tough uncouth time,
but an honest loving truth time.

Lent is not a grasping time,
nor a smothering greedy clasping time,
but a patient shaping moulding time,
a pay attention holding time.

Lent is not a sleeping time,
but a wake up early weeping time
with tears that rinse us through time,
a making all things new time.

Lent’s not a dead unfeeling time,
but the passionate Spring Lord’s healing time,
it’s a warm up the cold and frigid time,
a release the imprisoned rigid time.

Lent is not for me a “no” time,
but a go slow wake up and grow time,
it’s a be more but do less time,
for me Lent is a “yes” time.

Tina Lamb (1940 – )

(I wrote Why she says “Yes” in reaction to a really good poem called Why she says “No” , by the
American poet Ellen Bryant Voigt.)

Maybe Lent is a time to re act; to act differently; to re think our actions; to act
against the negativity that so easily drags us down. If we are making Lenten
resolutions, let’s make them a positive choice to take up something that will bring
new life, a new freedom in God’s service. And, if we are fasting, pray that will
make us more dependent on God, more loving.
T.L.