Woe to those who drag wickedness

with cords of deceit

and pull sin along with cart ropes

Isaiah 5: 18

A dusty trail on a sweltering day,

a wooden cart thudding over ruts and stones,

Ropes digging deeply

 into sunburned shoulders

sweat stinging squinted eyes

he strains at the heavy load.

What treasure is worth this effort? 

What beauty that consumes a soul?

Wickedness,

sin,

the deceit of ourselves,

Release;

the only freedom,

from all that was never worth having.