NOTE: The following poem is very long but has short verses. I am recommending it as a sample of the encouragement that God gave His people in times of hardship times of suffering and persecution.
Doru Radu
Golgotha Romanian Baptist Church, Warren, Michigan
The Chick*
Forlorn, all by himself in the shell
the bright golden chick
has finally felt ill at ease --
downright uncomfortable!
For he discovered his world
had somehow shrunk!
“What could this be?” he thought.
“What tragedy has befallen on me
that I should live
in this tiniest of homes
that’s here becoming, smaller and smaller?...
That I should find
insufficient room lying on my face
or on my back.
And if this were not enough,
Look, there’s this silly beak
getting in my way.
Alas, let me speak in bitterness,
as fools do…
But the beak is deaf
as it falls limp now on the left, now on the right,
like a beam in a useless dangle.
On top of it all,
two beady eyes appeared.
And heavy wings have sprung out.
To what purpose I know not!
And here below
there appeared a pair of
long, crooked claws,
that did pierce my belly.
Lord, why ever did you give me
these gifts that are so burdensome to me?
And, turning on his side,
The chick began to softly cry
for the very first time in his life…
But, knock-knock, who
on the outside is calling?
Fear grips him so...
Whoever could it be, but really who?...
the chick responded to the call.
Look! While knocking away,
a window to the outside world is blown!
Oh, Lord,
what wonder, matchless sight this is!
There, how wide it all is,
for him to play at will,
to lie down to sleep!
And a voice so sweet does break
a mother-like echo is being heard:
Do come now!
And jumped our chick
out of his old nest.
What joy it is to have eyes,
and ears, too!
How wonderful light is …
To drink it all in!
But what is this?
A tender blade of grass …
And lifting his eyes
into the bright sunshine,
the chick his first move did make!
And then, as time flies,
his eyes upon a well ripened grain did fall.
Mmm! It tastes so good!
And on a leaf of sweet basil
a small beetle could be seen.
But Lord, my beak is not at all misplaced!
For here in the new land,
what could I have done?
if I had no wings, no claws;
what was so burdensome
in his hermit-like cocoon?
Poor little chick …
Brethren, his story is but ours …
Honesty, purity, mercy, sacrifice,
a humble heart, and heavy tears,
kindness, and long sighing for the stars –
well, what could we do with all these
down here below?
To be speechless as the sheep,
when led to the sheerer;
to be longsuffering,
to aspire after no riches
no name to try to make;
to love him, who would if he could
completely bruise you –
well, what use would all these
be in the world?
When under the sun
only the sly grin,
only the heavy, grave pace
only the gloved hand
who looks after its own best;
yea, when life is but a game
where all come to the crossroads
and throw at you only thorns
and shards unlimited,
you, should take up the cross
and quietly carry,
humble though with spittle covered ...
Oh, Father, Merciful Creator,
Why ever did you give us
Gifts that seem such a burden?
Why? Don’t you know?
But wait a minute …
There comes a time,
when over this world
a shout will be heard …
Knock, Knock, knock!
And in this old house
a window will be opened
to that marvelous world out there.
And then, my brother,
how good it will be
to have done all this sighing?
to have cross marks on your shoulders,
and your temples furrowed by thorns?
To have your face shining
by the tears you shed!
For all these will turn into
white wings and light tunics
and a ruby-filled crown
and a kingly rod,
that worlds will know how to handle
(as John told us!),
when across our foreheads
the eternal Name will brilliantly shine:
JESUS !
*Translated from Romanian by Dorin Motz of
Washington, D.C. Published with his approval
Costache Ioanid
(Romanian poet, born 1912 in Ukraine, died in 1987, in Portland, Oregon) {1}
This Christian poet could not publish in communist Romania, but God used his work to enhance the faith of His children who learned his poems by heart, copied them by hand or tape-recorded them.