April is national poetry month. So naturally, I’ve got my 5th graders submersed in reading, analyzing, and writing their own poetry. A few days ago, In the midst of planning a poetry lesson, I came across this poem by Kay Ryan, and needless to say God showed Himself to me through the poem.
New Clothes by Kay Ryan
The emperor who
was tricked by the tailors
is familiar to you.
But the tailors
keep on changing
what they do
to make money.
(Tailor means
to make something
fit somebody.)
Be guaranteed
that they will discover
your pride.
You will cast aside
something you cherish
when the tailors whisper,
“Only you could wear this.”
It is almost never clothes
such as the emperor bought
but it is always something close
to something you’ve got.
The fourth stanza, “Be guaranteed/that they will discover/your pride,” instantly grabbed my attention.
The “tailors” of Ryan’s poem brought to mind everything in our world that feeds on our pride and distracts us from the love of God’s Word…in other words, idols. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
Then I made the connection…the Tailor I know loves me, would never trick me, and desires the very best for me. “He who is in me, is greater the he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
And that’s when my own response to Ryan’s poem popped in my head. “Be guaranteed/that He will require/your humility.” I couldn’t wait to get home that night to finish writing about The Tailor. Next thing I knew, I’d written my first poem since my Great American Poets class in college…
His Clothes by Kate Stinson
Is the Tailor who
makes suits of righteous armor
familiar to you?
For this Tailor
is unchanging.
He is the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
(Tailor means
to make something
custom fit.)
Be guaranteed
that He will require
your humility.
Will you lay aside
something you cherish
when the Tailor whispers,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life“?
It is always more than clothes
such as the Tailor provides
for His needlework is not close
until your heart decides.
The Tailor has a custom-made design ready for us, so let’s toss away the old clothes and dress ourselves in His beautiful handiwork!
