Michael Stalcup is a Thai-American missionary and poet living in Thailand. After five years on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in California, he currently serves as a campus staff with Thai Christian Students (IFES) in Bangkok, helping college students to know and follow Jesus. Find him online at www.michaelstalcup.com.

You Come to Me with Breakfast
By Michael Stalcup 

This poem on the life of Peter was inspired by the moving final scene of John’s gospel. It is structured as a chiasmus—which, after the Greek letter χ (chi), uses inverted parallelism to highlight key concepts and create interplay between paired stanzas.

When Ancient Time Shuts Tight Its Rusted Doors
By Michael Stalcup

When ancient time shuts tight its rusted doors And fastens keyless lock upon its stair, Beforehand emptying its storied floors Of all who have traversed and mingled there, What din or silence will those halls release As, ushered out into the last frontier, The throng of nations and of centuries On lush eternity’s expanse appears!