For sheer love (Joachim Smet, O.Carm.)

No painter ever caught the magic other going –

This was a matter of an inward growing,  

Simple and imperceptible as thought.

It was no pageant wrought 

Of sounding splendor, welter of gold bars 

Of molten day, mad stars, 

Flurry of quick angels’ winging,

Bursts of their laughter ringing

In wild bliss.

The simple fact is this: 

Love conquered at long last.

Her eager soul fled fast

With a great gladness like a song

Unto her Spouse above,  

And her pure flesh would not be parted long

For sheer love.

--Joachim Smet, O.Carm., 

The Assumption 

Image source:  Nicolas Lecreux (1734-1799), Assumption of Mary, Seminary of Tournai, France, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tournai_Virgin_Assumption_Sculpture.JPG