Over Coming

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not katelaben [understand/comprehend/overcome] {\¹it.
—John 1:1–5¹

you, darkness, could not stand
under His coming over
more than that, you fell flat

upended by One not comprehended
whose silver beam streamed
through your tightened fist . . . (you missed!)

you came up empty-handed
while light not apprehended
surged forward undeterred

a Word as it were
undisturbed in a shirt pocket
Were He as a hobbit to clutch for greed or for profit
you, darkness, would have had Him in hand

but lacking a hold
the hand that you played
to your great dismay
became a public display
and He over came

Came overly big and overly bounding
with so much zeal
that the tables keeled over
and teacups went flying
while His tail whipped wildly

He came drenched and dripping
from the waters of Jordan
and shook life all over us
He over came

Carol Tobin presently serves with Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMMissions) as a mission advocate and content editor for their quarterly publication, Transforming. She and her husband, Skip, are part of the Early Church community in Harrisonburg, VA. Memorizing scripture and writing poems are significant ways she ingests the potency of God’s word into her life.  She wrote this poem in April 2017.