Notes: 1.) Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God is the sixth of nine beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. 2.) Alchemy is the medieval forerunner of chemistry, rooted in the notion of transforming base metals into gold. 3.) Chromium is a dense base metal with the atomic number 24. 4.)Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John was turning water in purification jars into amazing wine at a wedding in Cana (see John 2:1-11). 5.) 24-carat gold is the purest form of gold with no other metals mixed in. 6.) Image by GDJ on Pixabay.com, Creative Commons License.
TWENTY-FOUR
blessed are the pure in heart.
your words show me up a sham.
noble on the outside, sure,
but I know who I am.
acts of generosity are
opportunities for people to see.
kindness masks the ugly grudge.
behind my smile I piously judge,
thinking more about myself
than anyone or anything else.
Jesus, can you save me by
some beatitude alchemy?
my chromium-dense hypocrisy
has grown so heavy I
can no longer bear it.
like your Cana miracle sign,
can you turn this fool’s gold
heart into 24-carat wine?