John 1:1-14

[joel]

John 1:1-14, Prologue of the Logos, Life & Light
an original translation in English verse from the Greek
(Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Græce 27)
[glosses not found in the Greek manuscripts in italics]

(I couldn't make it fit into three truly 14 lined sonnets...hence it ends with grace)

1With primacy’s the Word occurring— even
was occurring unto God: the Word
was even more occurring, we believe,
as God— 2was this one, this whom we have heard,
with primacy occurring unto God.
3And all through this were generated; naught
was generated lacking this. What’s awed
through generation 4long our faith has taught
was life, yet Life occurring as the light
of all humanity: 5the light within
obscurity is shining; and the might
of this dank cosmos— neither death nor sin—
it didn’t comprehend this one at all.
The light remains when even evenings fall.

6A human life was generated— being
sent as an epistle from the One
divine, the One who’d wrestled Jacob— he
was John by name, 7who came to us to run
a martyr’s race, to raise a martyr’s cause
whose cause would be the light’s own testimony—
risking all that all who’d hear would pause
and come to faith through seeds of faith he’d sewn.
8Yet he— this John— was not himself the light,
but came to witness, testify, be martyred—
be extinguished— for the living light,
9the true, authentic light beyond all par,
the One enlightening all humanity,
the light who’s breaking ’cross the galaxy.

10Within the cosmos was occurring light—
and yes, the cosmos which through light was made—
but no, the cosmos did not know the light,
11who shone upon its own— whose own betrayed
the light’s bright shining— 12but to those who glowed
of light, the light bestowed on them a right
to children be of God, a right that’s flowed
in endless streams to those who are delighting
in the faithfulness of life’s light’s name—
13those neither born of blood nor sex nor human
fathers, but whose generation came
from God, 14whose Word became engendered too
. . . . . and lived— enfleshed— encamped with us who saw
. . . . . his glory— glory of a father’s sole
. . . . . progeneration— full of shock and awe
. . . . . and glory— full of body, spirit, soul—
a fullness and a plethora of grace
and grace that gives embodied truth its face.