Emptied

Lord,
A little over a week ago,
I arrived here,
In Arizona.

I emptied my
Pantries of food...
My closets of clothes...
My apartment of
Furniture, housewares and toys...

I deposited my Pugs
On the doorstep of a friend's friends...

I packed up my workspace,
Sorted and finalized files,
And tried to make a comfortable space
For the woman You brought
To fill my position
At the newspaper.
Right now,
She and I are engaged
In a transference of power,
As I attempt to pour
The accumulated worth of six years' knowledge
Into her open and eager mind.

I have left
Family and friends,
Job and church,
All that is familiar and comfortable,
To come here.

I have never been
So bone-weary, soul-weary tired.

I keep thinking about
What Terry said
The night of the Ash Wednesday service:
"Don't be afraid to pour yourself out."

You know all about that.
You emptied Yourself
For us...

What,
O my Lord God,
Will You now fill me with?...