“And he looked around at them with anger . . .”

—Mark 3:5 ESV

Fifty-nine translations in English.
Four recuse Jesus from anger,
selecting indignation, furious,
ka’as, wrath instead. Anything

to keep Jesus from anger.
These gospels pierce us until,
like making eye contact
with panhandlers, we turn away.

And yet fifty-five times, the Son of God,
the Man of Sorrows, the One acquainted
with grief, looks into everyone present.

Some feel the flash but one stands in silence—
this nameless tree with no leaves for a breeze to flutter—
follows the command and watches his dry hand bloom.