A Small Crevice Deep Enough

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by Victoria Mok

Victoria occasionally writes poetry to examine life experiences under God’s gaze. She has attended Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church for many years. WHEN I LIvED INTENTIONALLY in a low-income community through MoveIn, I met a number of young neighbours who had fled war and continued to live in challenging circumstances. I wrote this poem after a night spent in the company of a very young boy and his family. It is a prayer for him to experience love and hope in midst of a difficult family situation.

Learn more about Victoria’s mission with MoveIn in the January-February 2020 and May-June 2021 issues of live magazine

with my arms full of this boy I have a song to sing the words are lament and praise stunned sorrow and a hopeful haze rip from the boy all the world’s hate send instead your steady grace resurrect in him the expectation that men like him are honoured

when they extend love to sisters when their hands know nothing of rage let forgiveness be truth inside and through its power let the dark past fade break the long history of violence, of war in his streets, fights breaking skin set the scars and bruises in your balm and, Lord, let your healing settle in— how loud do you hear these wailing cries in midst of an unarticulated struggle within a three-year-old’s mind? could my arms be the start of some mysterious peace seeping in and could momentary kindness find a small crevice deep enough for your love to be left behind? 