Jacob Friesenhahn

Holy Saturday

to live this way forever would be torture

what you want is to die

temporarily

long enough for life to miss you

to wonder where you’ve gone

to notice the singular emptiness

long enough for you to miss life

family and friends first

then one by one every enemy

down to the worst

to die and be dead

long enough for life to disperse

amplifying your virtues

rendering your vices vague

to die and hide under the earth

long enough for life to forgive you

long enough for you to forgive life

and to want it all over again

to die

just temporarily

just long enough

to resurrect

Jacob Friesenhahn teaches religious studies and philosophy at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.