Vision Of Saint Catherine

She appears before my clouded eyes, a holy daybreak vision
As she drapes her jaspe' cape around her shoulders, marbled glow
The material streaked in contrasts, red, green, and blue
precision
Northern Africa's jebeled landscape, mountains capped with snow

Her voice is soft and cultured as she relates her martyr's story
" Saint Catherine is my name and I was born to luxury's wealth
Daughter of a noble family from the seatrade port of Alexandria's
glory
My early childhood teachings included poetry, numbers, and spiritual
health

My faith in Christianity put sorely to the test by Emperor
Maximinus
In the early years, fourth century I witnessed grief and sorrow
The worship of his pagan idols with the temple virgins, unabashed in
slyness
Believing that the stone and wood were protectors of tomorrow

Although he was astonished by the vastness of my knowledge,
he dismissed my God, and put me under house arrest, condemned
but the Lord in all his mercy brought me 50 learned men to pledge
Sages from the Emperor sent to win me over, but I converted them

It was decreed that I should die by vile and torturous means
Knife blades sharpened on both sides attached to wooden wheels
Meant to cut my tender flesh into bloody shreds, smaller than a lentil
bean
But I emerged unscathed, unharmed, God granted my appeal

The Emperor's heart was clothed in black and he ordered me
beheaded
In November's chill, day twenty-five, 305 the stated year
I saw the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the Three-In-One, the
Godhead
The radiance of their caring love, bestowed on me, abundance
everclear

Five centuries later a lowly prayerful monk saw my body
uncorrupted,
lifted by archangels to a lofty peak, near rocky Mt. Sinai
The mountain's dew exudes sweet-smelling myrrh, subtle, not
abrupt
To be collected by the pious brothers for its healing properties,
applied "

I awake inside her monastary and fall prostrate on my knees
The sanctuary rests in darkness, but I know that I've been
blessed
Set above the altar on a background of gold glass, an everlasting
plea
Her mosaic figure, arms outstretched in exquisite shades of tiled
finesse