Eight degrees, walking to school under a sunrise rosy glow,
Boot stomping on the crunchy ice, conversing, “Hey, what’s new?”
We spot a finger-written message in the sparkling snow:
Hearts, like quote marks, framing up the words, “Jesus loves you.”

Later, strolling with my sweetheart on a lunchtime walk,
Around the block, up-down the hill, and past the park on cue,
We see more finger-written snow notes, glitter white, and talk
Of hearts and letters, winter warming, “Jesus loves you.”

I think about the sad, abandoned theater;
The empty shell we pass each day on main
Where on the old marquee, block letters, plain to see,
Spell out that “Jesus Loves You” through all weather, wind and rain.

And now I’m looking everywhere around to find those words
Reflected in the clouds or shining bright on morning dew,
In lullabies the wolves are singing to the desert birds,
When mothers whisper comfort, all cries out, “Jesus loves you.”

If life is overwhelming and you don’t know what to do,
Look up, around to hear the sound that “Jesus loves you.”
_______

Copyright © 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: It actually pretty much played out as in this ‘slice of life’ from yesterday. Taavi and I walk to school together each morning and to spice things up I usually bring along some ‘conversation cards’ prompts. We saw this message in the snow (I went back later to photo this slightly melted version). Later, when walking with Dixie on our lunch break, we could see that this same person had tagged at least two other patches of snow around our block. It made us smile. This morning as I reflected on this, I thought of the old, abandoned theater on Main, which makes me a bit sad, but has had “Jesus Loves You” on the marquee ever since closing.

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