Beyond psalm 23...

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,
i shall not want,
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
he leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.

Even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
i fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff -
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and i shall dwell in the house
of the Lord,
my whole life long.

Beyond Psalm 23...
when the shepherd has brought the
sheep to the rich, plentiful grass
besides the fresh streams flowing,
whither next?

the shepherd looks ahead,
he knows the source of the stream,
and where the stream joins river joins sea...
he knows where the grass began, small seeds
and now stretched as far as the eye
and where it ends, blending into the horizon...
he knows all,
and where the cross is
cloaked in sunset,
he knows of the son, resurrected
dawn of a new life for all.

(there was a simple illustration i drew with this poem, but i couldn't scan it here. anyway, it shows a shepherd looking ahead with a crook in his hand. inspired by the fact it's holy week, and soon comes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday...)