O Christ, Be Closer – A Responsive Reading

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O CHRIST, BE CLOSER

O Christ, be closer
Closer than my afflictions, and
closer than my health
O Christ, be closer
Closer than my fears, and
closer than my hopes
O Christ, be closer
Closer than my solitude, and
closer than the crowd
O Christ, be closer
Closer than my failures, and
closer than my successes
O Christ, be closer
Closer than my nightmares, and
closer than my dreams
O  Christ, be closer
Closer than my memories, and
closer than my visions
O Christ, be closer
Closer than my life, and
closer than my death
O Christ, be closer

“O Christ, Be Closer” received the Nellie Flory Memorial Award from Explorer Magazine in 1998. My poem was reprinted by Time of Singing Poetry Journal Winter 2015/16.

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Photos and poem by Ellen Grace Olinger

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