Doubt

A hefty wren settles
on the tenderest branch
of a sapling ginkgo.
The bough bends, bounces,
yet holds--
a bruised reed He will not break…

Rosin-dusted strands press
taut violin strings.
The bow bends, wire writhes,
Bach reborn--
a bruised reed He will not break…

The sure God-beliefs
of my childhood
crack, crumble,
lie smoldering in
a doubt crucible,
Till borne on a
strange breath-wind,
the ashes rise, swirl,
a divine murmuration reformed--
a bruised reed He will not break…

--
​Dr. Kellie Brown is a violinist, conductor, music educator, poet, and award-winning writer whose book, The Sound of Hope: Music as Solace, Resistance and Salvation during the Holocaust and World War II (McFarland Publishing, 2020), received one of the Choice Outstanding Academic Titles award. Her words have appeared in Earth & Altar, Ekstasis, Psaltery & Lyre, Foreshadow, Clayjar Review, and others. In addition to over 30 years of music ministry, she serves as a certified lay minister in the United Methodist Church.