LES COURAGEUSES by Joanna C Vandersee [23June2013, Dalby,
Qld, Australia.]
They lived
for the Lord Jesus Christ in distant, far-off places;
They were
many and different and varied of faces.
Some died
old, yes old, and so strong in their faith;
Some died
young, still determined, determined - go on!
They all
gave their life, all their love and their hope.
They held on
with courage beyond human strength…
To all of
you –
Christianas,
Christopheras, Christines:
To you who
have gone, left, sailed and flown;
Who have
served and led;
Preached and
taught,
Managed and
fought.
And borne
His pure image and borne His pure name.
To Anne, and
the Marys; Susanna - “the others”;
To Lydia, Syntyche,
Euodia, Phoebe, and Chloe,
To Veronica,
Margaret, Marie and Nina;
To Perpetua,
Felicity, Monica and co.;
To Hilda, to
Claire, Therese, and to Agnes,
To Mother
Julian; and mothers, and the mother of Bede.
To
Princesses, Duchesses, and daughters of dukes;
To the sisters,
the mothers, the aunties, the friends.
To the
veiled and the robed,
To the
bodiced and girdled,
To the
wimpled and dimpled,
Bespectacled
and squinting.
To the
gloved and the hatted,
The modern
and manicured.
To the
sweating and fainting,
To the
feverish and frail:
To Florence;
to Lilias;
To Amy;
Priscilla;
To Mildred, Francesca,
And to all
of their known, and some unnamed, companions.
To the
pioneer, the path-finder,
The
side-saddled and astride.
To the hikers,
the climbers and the seated in sedan-chairs.
To the
sea-sick, the bus-sick and all severely home-sick.
To those who
packed wedding dress in simple pine coffin.
To those who
brought baby-clothes remaining unused.
To the wives;
and to all of the women ‘unmanned’.
To the
merciful and mothering;
Child-bearing,
child-caring, child-rearing ---
Alone.
To the
back-seat, the back room, the back door, the backers.
To the
cooks, and the cleaners and keepers of home
fires ----far,
far, far,
Oh, so far
from home.
To all of
those who wiped feverish brows,
And to those
who had no-one;
no-one to
wipe theirs.
To the
harvesters; to the pray-ers;
To the
purposeful; the proclaimers.
To the
doctors and midwives and nurses and maids -
Through
whose hands Jesus touched first-born of nations.
To the
translators and teachers;
Engineers,
chemists ----
Drivers and
driven;
Going on,
bringing light.
To the determined
and daring.
To the hurt
and heart-broken.
To the
givers and thank-ers.
To the
humble, the contrite.
To the brazen
and bold;
To the
hopeful and fruitful.
To the
tearful and tear-stained.
To the
lovely and grey.
To the
wrinkled and beautiful.
To the
smiling and gentle.
All the Christlike
brave women in places away ----
The city,
the country, the hellish, the cold.
The mountain,
the desert, the oceans and sea.
To the
changing and resourceful.
To the
imaginative and careful.
To the neat
and the practical;
The artistic
and wistful.
To the messy
and colourful ---
To the Lord
of them all.
To the
constantly packing, unpacking and checking.
To the
good-byes and hellos all over again.
To the
fleeing of gun-shot and bombing and danger;
The
uncertainty, worry, and knowing the pain.
To the
friendships eternal that were forged in the flame.
To the
worldwide returning to places again.
To the
hand-maidens of Him who made heaven and earth.
To the women
who served Him and loved Him and gave -
Hearts of
both gold, and bloody raw flesh;
Hands - both
of steel, and velvet, touching in love.
To Jesus who
called them and for Whom they gave all ----
Les Courageuses
: Courageous, “ The Courageous Ones”.
(edited 05/02/2015 JCV)
(re-edited 12/04/2017 JCV)
Poetry – art that never ends… (JCV)
