The Iron Cross
The Iron Cross
by Lawrence Jones | Bristol, VT
Today I was the agent for a miracle:
I placed two stones at Cruz de Ferro’s mighty base.
Two friends at church had given me the rounded stones;
it was my privilege to lay them in this place.
And there I offered prayers of gratitude
to those who freely pledged so much support
to keep the welcome at the Open Door,
the clinic many find a last resort.
And there I prayed for everyone
who needs the clinic Open Door,
for men and women, children, too,
who work, but still are very poor.
I stopped to dry my eyes
and went on down the hill.
What God permitted me
is working on me still.
How much there is
for us to do!
Let’s take the chance
and see it through.
Thank God
I walked
more than
I talked.
Editor’s note: The poet raised nearly $8,000 on his Camino by collecting per-mile pledges. The proceeds benefited the Open Door Clinic, a medical facility in Middlebury, VT, that serves the underinsured and uninsured.
