A chance meeting in a wood,
or by a stream, or on a beach
and the world turns round
bringing light and pleasure

the stranger is marked
by a cross on his brow
made of dark ash
as from the fire of sacrifice

and you ask the question, ‘why?
why would you give up peace
for this – to walk the world
knowing a way for others

and holding their hands
as they grieve for lost ones
and suffer, suffer the agonies
of our fateful life?’

And in one swift moment
you turn the world upside down
and look at the underneath of pain
and show that it is the creativity in us

So turn the wood, make the wine
bake beautiful bread, make a home,
write a poem, and sing a tune
and the stranger will be a stranger no more