Shalom

by Vic Jameson
1996

From birth we seek a vague and haunting goal:
A something that is nestled in our depths
But which, for all our reaching and our strife,
Is just beyond our most determined steps.
Some call it peace, this yearning. It is that,
Yet is also infinitely more---
As certain as the sun that breaks the night,
As restless as the waves that shape the shore.
We look for it in faith and it is there;
We search for it in work, and see its sign;
We touch its edges when we bow in prayer;
We sense it in both human and divine.

At last, when we shall reach our heart’s true home,
Our God will greet us: “Welcome, child. Shalom.”