Annunciation

A swooping hawk, Gabriel descends
to a barren, unexpectant earth,
his feathers a train of candles
settled into a prolonged burn.
Mary receives him, a haloed
icon, the patron saint of contradiction:
the body recoils, the womb drawn
to the comfort of the dirt,
yet her hands cradle the child,
that fire burning at her breast,
and her eyes meet the angel’s,
the duality of their gaze locked
like the door just moments ago.

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This poem also appears in the March 2023 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 88, No. 3, page 8). Click here to subscribe to the magazine.