There were twelve
Each had calloused palms
Each learned to hold out two hands
Hands that gripped the arm of another
Twenty-four hands reaching further than they had before

There were sandals
Each had thick leather soles
Each sole worn from walking
Feet that moved in dust and dirt
Twenty-four legs that stressed and flexed against gravity

There were eyes
Each would witness death
Each would witness the miracle
Pangs of starving souls yearning for life
Twenty-four fragile orbs were filled with wonder

There were nostrils
Each inhaling spikenard
Each breathing blood and bread
Olive oil and salted fish passed before them
Twenty-four nostrils remembered the smell of the calm sea

There were ears
Each rang with a certain tinnitus
Each carried a confused burden
Then the sound would be made clear
Twenty-four lobes heard the words within them

There were tongues
Each a dialect of home
Each a manifestation of the new home
A message of experience and witness
Twelve mouths shared the story of home

There were twelve
Each took hold of life
One took hold of death
A single cup passed around a table
One cup that asked which of the twelve