I received my smudge today.
It signifies my journey
from dust to dust.
It feels good to be so humble,
but is my forehead
too high off the ground?
I mean,
for instance,
I have a friend
who is trying to make sense
of the death of her baby to SIDS.
Her life has suddenly been reduced to rubble.
Ashes, actually.
So as well as receiving a thumbnail sketch
of my humility this Wednesday –
my coming and going –
administered by my priest,
perhaps I should be just sitting in the ashes
with my neighbour,
in the ashes of her life;
just sitting,
weeping with her,
loving,
caring.
Does it matter if the smudge
will be evident to all and sundry
on a part of my body
usually reserved for
scorn and derision?