Do You Know Noah’s Sorrow?

Do you know the sorrow of Noah in the ark?
To save the people who stood watching him and mocking,
Noah toiled to build the ark; do you know his sorrow?
Noah stood with the door of the ark between him and them; do you know his sorrow?
No matter how loudly he shouted to them to come in,
his brothers and friends would not listen; do you know the sorrow of watching them, the ache of it?
When the door of the ark was shut and he heard the sound of the rain,
Noah wailed aloud; do you know his sorrow?
Thinking of them, whose chance was now gone forever,
how he sobbed, how lonely he was: do you know?
When the door of the ark was opened, do you know Noah’s fear?
When he set one foot outside the ark,
do you know how he looked all around in case anyone was there?
Even the animals had lived,
and when he saw that not one of those dear souls remained,
do you know how Noah grieved?
In such a moment, no child of God
would rejoice and be glad over their own salvation alone.
To look past one’s own salvation at oneself, who failed to save souls,
and to ache and regret is the very mark of one who is saved.
With loneliness and anguish and fear, and a heart that condemned himself,
Noah became drunk; do you know his pain?
Because I knew his pain, I did not wake Noah from his deep sleep.
I only judged the one who mocked
the pain of my child.