Catch & Release

Deborah Beach Giordano
© February 22, 2010

Caught in a net,
confused and gasping,
uncertain
where I am,
or how I got here,
I squirm and struggle.

My every effort
pulls the ropes
tighter.
Escape is
hopeless.
I surrender…
and float
helplessly.

Stunned
and staring,
stiff with terror,
I see Your face,
O Beloved,
and I am
no longer afraid;

It is bright
with love
and warm
with compassion;
it flows into my heart
like the tide –
bringing new life
to my suffering soul.

Tenderly
You lift me up,
carefully
You sever the
ties that bound me,
gently
You release me –
and I can begin again.

But now
I’ve been marked:
I’m tagged
and claimed
as Yours alone, my Lord.

You’re a funny sort
of fisherman,
sweet Savior of my soul:
it wasn’t You
who caught me,
but You
who set me free.