by Christal Ann Rice Cooper

Sunday morning 
even before the women rise
i am here

the two Roman soldiers are in my sight,
watching

the eleven disciples out of my sight,
hiding 

and I witness the angel, 
the paralytic shock of the soldiers,
the rolling of the stone,
and my Son taking His first resurrected breath.

He comes to me:
“Mother. Mary”

i kneel in joyful cries
and He asks:

“Are these tears for your Son,
or are they for your God?” 

Christal Ann Rice Cooper identifies herself as a Jesus-loving and Gospel-relying person. She is a newspaper writer, feature stories writer, poet, fiction writer, photographer, and painter. She has a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and completed all of her poetry and fiction workshops required for her Master’s in Creative Writing with a focus on poetry. She maintains a website at www.chrisricecooper.com

She, her husband Wayne, sons Nicholas and Caleb, cats Nation and Alaska reside in the St. Louis area.