‘Mary’: A Sequel to the Poem ‘Martha’ by Scharlie Meeuws

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Mary

—a sequel to “Martha,” prompted by James A. Tweedie

The night grew still, the lamps gave off a hush,
And Martha’s footsteps faded down the hall.
The coals were low, the herbs gave one last flush –
Their fragrance lingered barely there at all.

Then Mary rose, her hands clasped near her chest,
And knelt beside the One she knew as true.
She bowed her head, her voice a shy protest:
“Lord, do You see the love in what she’d do?

She serves not less in kneading, pouring, flame,
Her silence speaks in bread and in the cup.
She gives her heart each time she speaks my name—
It’s she who taught me how to lift it up.”

He smiled, and in His look, a quiet light,
More gentle than the hush before a storm.
“She, too, has chosen well, though out of sight,
Her labour, love; her giving, just as warm.

I do not weigh their ways on earthly scales,
The listening soul, the soul that toils and tends.
Both offer gold, both write their tender tales,
Each sister’s path draws near to noble ends.”

The olive leaves outside began to stir,
As if the night had breathed a softened word.
And Mary knew He saw the heart in her,
And in her sister, whom her silence heard.

The sisters met beneath the olive tree,
Their hands entwined, the dusk upon their hair.
No need for words, just grace in unity,
Two hearts made whole within the evening air.

The house behind still echoed with His voice,
But now it pulsed within their quiet bond.
Each had been called, in action or in choice,
And both had moved in love and far beyond.

One bore the bowl, the other bore the flame,
Each mirror to the other’s sacred role.
The work, the word – divided but the same,
Twin rivers flowing toward a single soul.

For love remembers every woven thread,
The hidden tears, the loaves that rose unseen.
No gift was missed, no prayer was unsaid,
The space between them, hallowed and serene.

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Scharlie Meeuws, a poet born in Germany, began writing at a young age. She studied in Spain and France, writing poems in Spanish and French before settling in England, where she co-owns Thorntons Bookshop, the oldest in Oxford. Scharlie’s poetry has been featured in magazines and anthologies, including the Guardian. Her work was recognized by Nobel Prize winner Vicente Aleixandre. Her most recent book is The Emotional Robot and Other Poems. Her poetry book Outbranching was published by Cerasus, London in 2021 and is available on Amazon.