wash me
with the water
that isn’t clean

the holy water

wash me with the water
that holds the dirt
of all history
the sweat from hard work
the grime of play

the scrubbed sin
the diluted confession

wash me in this
so i will know i am human

wash me with this water
that holds the tears
of all of history
cried by the broken and the fragile
the resilient and the strong

bathe me with the water
that has showered with joy
and flooded with fear
that has rained on both the just and the unjust

wash me in this
so i will know i will survive

and wash me
with the water that has quenched the thirst
for drink
forever
but never the thirst
for longing

so i will know
what it is
to live.