the third mystery of the theophany: stone jars

"and the third day there was a marriage
in cana of galilee"

perhaps a tuesday wedding, a wedding day
of grass and herb and fruit tree;
perhaps the third day after john bare record
"this is the son of god."

"and there were set there six water pots of stone,
after the manner of the purifying of the jews."

how heavy, how hard, how permanent.
the holy one gave moses the law on tablets of stone,
harder to misplace, one might think, than a
scrap of paper with the thought for the day, one
of god's 365 promised blessings,
or the marriage certificate from our first wedding.

moses made a box,
put the tablets inside,
covered the thing with gold,
"overlaid it with pure gold,
within and without,
and made a crown of gold to it
round about."

but they lost it. misplaced it
somewhere.
box, tablets, rings, chittim wood staves,
the law.

no one knew quite where.
no one would have looked in cana, in galilee.

"and the third day, there was a marriage
in cana of galilee."

sometimes, we pray, "if it be thy will," upon marriages
may be bestowed "the gift and heritage of children."

you can see the mill stone coming.
might we, might i,
offend one of these little ones?
might we, might i, become little ones?

"and there were set there six water pots of stone,
after the manner of the purifying of the jews."

best we remain among the jars,
not filling them full,
lest the new wine burst
our old stone skins.

"and there were set there six water pots of stone,
after the manner of the purifying of the jews,
containing two or three firkins apiece."

all these firkins of water:
will they not wash us clean?

and how many firkins make water enough
to comprehend my millstone and my offenses?