Holy Beard, by Devon Balwit

The Transfiguration, by Raphael (Italy). 1518-1520.

Holy Beard,

Harden transfixed, crowd
agape, fingers pointing.

Sometimes greatness falls
upon us. We bear

its weight, bruise even,
extricating ourselves, even

as we try not to miss
the moment. O rise! O pitch

the air-filled world up
and through, up

the tally, make it / us / all
meaningful! (Some pay

no attention, wouldn’t
trouble themselves to slide

a finger into the bloody
rent. We won’t

concern ourselves with such
as these, we who believe.)

Devon Balwit

This poem was inspired by a viral sports photo by Carlos Gonzalez, which was then compared to Raphael's artwork above, and other ancient paintings. Click here to see the photo and the story.

Devon Balwit writes in Portland, OR. She has five chapbooks out or forthcoming: How the Blessed Travel (Maverick Duck Press); Forms Most Marvelous (dancing girl press); In Front of the Elements(Grey Borders Books), Where You Were Going Never Was (Grey Borders Books); and The Bow Must Bear the Brunt (Red Flag Poetry). More of her individual poems can be found here as well as in The Cincinnati Review, The Stillwater Review, Red Earth Review, The Inflectionist; Glass: A Journal of Poetry; Noble Gas Quarterly; Muse A/Journal, and more.