bruegel the elder’s the woman taken in adultery, by Sister Lou Ella

Christ and The Woman Taken in Adultery, by Pieter Bruegel (Netherlands) 1565.

bruegel the elder’s the woman taken in adultery  

how ironic
this bare foot Jesus writes
(in dutch no less)
His sentence for her sin that is really theirs
as she stands among the judges, jury, executioners . . .
please note the lack of two formal witnesses
the Law proscribed 
as well as her male counterpart who conveniently disappeared
what will become of her
will she speak again
after her enforced silence
and will some future husband lay with her
to rob her of her sorrow and her public shame

Sister Lou Ella

Sister Lou Ella is a former teacher and librarian. She is a certified spiritual director as well as a poet and writer.  Her poems have appeared in numerous magazines such as America, First Things, Emmanuel, Third Wednesday, and new verse news as well as in four anthologies: The Night’s Magician: Poems about the Moon, edited by Philip Kolin and Sue Brannnan Walker, Down to the Dark River edited by Philip Kolin, Secrets edited by Sue Brannan Walker and After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events edited by Tom Lombardo.  She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017. Her first book of poetry entitled she: robed and wordless was published in 2015 (Press 53.)