I love being able to tell someone's story through poetry. Last week, I participated in a missionary night for our ward's youth conference. At the event, a couple in our ward who served as senior missionaries in Washington, DC shared the story of Sister Marcella Mack of the Washington, DC Third Ward. I loved their story of her unique style of bearing testimony and added it to my collection of future poems to write. This morning, while waiting at a dentist's office with my daughter, I decided to spend the time composing this poem. This evening I had the privilege and pleasure of sharing the completed poem with this couple in my ward. Poetry is such a great vehicle for storytelling! Here's the poem, the title of which you might notice is a nod to a line from the hymn, "There is Sunshine in My Soul Today."
The Song She Could Not Sing
Though raised Baptist her faith had been transformed
Accepting now sweet Gospel truths restored
In testimony meetings, she performed
A hymn of Jesus from her sweet lips poured
One Sabbath as this elder sister rose
To sing her testimony there once more
The words would not escape her tongue - it froze
With prayers, the congregation did implore
The members then did answer their own pleas
As they filled in the words she could not sing
A few bars in her tongue did then unfreeze
The Spirit, thick, to tender hearts did cling
Oh may we emulate this sister dear
As we proclaim the faith that is our own
And sing our heart-filled songs for all to hear
That God's great glory might thereby be shown
