Until its surface tension breaks
upon the steward’s tongue –
dissipating sweetness,
sweat of vineyard labourers,
honey of the sun-ripened harvest –
it is neither water nor wine;
until the jars are filled to overflowing,
until a drop is spilled,
staining the ground with promise;
until the sides run with condensation
like an ever-flowing stream;
it is neither water nor wine
until the hour is come;
yet every hour is thine.
About Rosalind C Hughes
Rosalind C Hughes is an Episcopal priest, poet, and author living near the shores of Lake Erie. After growing up in England and Wales, and living briefly in Singapore, she is now settled in Ohio. Rosalind is the author of A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing , and Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence, both from Upper Room Books. She loves the lake, misses the ocean, and is finally coming to terms with snow.
over the water 